


medjed: can hack ur brain

by Scedasticity



Series: Start Again [5]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Chatlogs, Gen, New Game Plus, Sort Of, but i'm too stressed not to post short ones, this was supposed to be a prologue but it got too long and complicated, this was supposed to be at most three chapters, warnings are again 'about the same as in canon'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:15:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scedasticity/pseuds/Scedasticity
Summary: February-March with a newly merged team: an overview.
Series: Start Again [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/914673
Comments: 389
Kudos: 548





	1. 2/8-2/23

**Author's Note:**

> You may note this is not 'Collateral'. This was supposed to be the prologue to 'Collateral', but it got too long and too complicated and was taking WAY too long and various people on tumblr encouraged me so: here it is by itself. Will be by itself, when it's done. It will probably be 2-3 chapters I think?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2020/7/3: Slight edit, see end notes.

_**2015.02.08** _

_FI added YK, HO, MN, HT, GA to chat **medjed: can hack ur brain**_

_FI changed their name to oracle_

oracle: ok!

oracle: behold, a proper encrypted chat for phantom thief 2.0 business

oracle: or: medjed's metaverse branch, because im hoping we can get the Mementos doors open that way

HO: thank you Futaba!

HO: I hope that will work

HO: We have access to the second level but only due to some EXTREMELY RECKLESS BEHAVIOR

GA: IT WORKED AND I DIDN'T DIE

GA: But an alternative method would be good, yes

_GA changed their name to Crow_

Crow: What's medjed?

YK: Futaba's hacking empire

oracle: you know what close enough

MN: …

oracle: what?

MN: Never mind

_MN changed their name to Queen_

_YK changed their name to Fox_

Fox: You didn't invite your mother?

Crow: I don't think she needs to invite her mother

oracle: yeah i didnt ask you

oracle: but anyway shes not out of the hospital yet theyre still doing brain scans

oracle: and more importantly i havent told her about medjed yet so

oracle: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

HO: Are you afraid she won't react well?

oracle: no!

oracle: i would just prefer to put off any discussion of the ethics of cybercrime until

oracle: ever

Queen: I understand how you feel!

Queen: Imagining bringing any of this up with Sis is… no.

oracle: ahahahahahaha yeah thatd be even worse

Queen: Wait

Queen: You know ME from the previous timeline

Queen: Do you know Sae, too?

HO: Somewhat?

Fox: More than 'somewhat' I would say

Fox: She wasn't on the team but a Palace is very informative

Queen: …

Queen: …

HO: I hadn't actually explained that

Fox: Oh

Fox: Sorry?

oracle: inari strikes again

oracle: we should probably have some sort of comprehensive previous timeline debriefing instead of just leaving it as whatever inari accidentally tells everyone

Queen: That would be nice

HO: She doesn't have a Palace NOW.

HO: Hopefully she won't get one.

Queen: I see

oracle: is her shadow in mementos then?

Crow: Aiyatsbus, as of December

Queen: …

Crow: We tried to convince her Shadow to take New Years off

Queen: …

Queen: Thanks, I guess?

Crow: I'm not certain there's anything to thank us for

Crow: It's always hard to tell how effective any kind of convincing is

HO: I've been monitoring the situation and it's currently in Chemdah, unfortunately.

HO: Or actually

HO: IS that a sign she's under more stress? Shadows tend to be STRONGER the deeper in Mementos you go, but I'm not sure how that maps to how strong the distortion is.

oracle: me neither

_HT changed their name to ShogiNinja_

ShogiNinja: Chemdah was where my mother's Shadow was, too, wasn't it?

Fox: Yes

Fox: Or it was in November

ShogiNinja: …I'm a little afraid to check.

oracle: ok i was going to be professional but since someone else started it

_oracle changed their name to prometheus_unbound_

_prometheus_unbound changed HO's name to CountessMonteCristo_

prometheus_unbound: sorry that was bugging me

Fox: You can do that?

ShogiNinja: She can probably do anything she wants

prometheus_unbound: so anyway

prometheus_unbound: my mom made me promise to hold off on metaverse stuff until shes out of the hospital

ShogiNinja: How long will that be?

prometheus_unbound: probably another week

prometheus_unbound: but im pretty sure shes going to try to get me to promise no metaverse stuff until she can come

CountessMonteCristo: …

prometheus_unbound: which i have NOT agreed to because from what the physical therapy person said thats going to be like march

prometheus_unbound: but theres going to be some negotiation and anyway in the immediate future im going to be hung up with moving into sojiros house

prometheus_unbound: obviously im not expecting any of that to apply to everyone else

prometheus_unbound: so haru im leaving you in charge of inari and ShogiNinja while im grounded

CountessMonteCristo: …

Fox: …

prometheus_unbound: figuratively

Queen: Wait, which part is figurative?

CountessMonteCristo: We could go on a joint trip to Mementos tomorrow after school and see if there's been any effect on the doors?

Crow: Visit some of my information sources while we're there, maybe.

Crow: If you want to get an idea how that works.

ShogiNinja: That sounds good to me.

prometheus_unbound: you kids try not to have too much fun

Fox: You are the youngest person here.

_prometheus_unbound changed Fox's name to SelfPortraitAsAnInformationLeak_

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.09** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: howd it go

prometheus_unbound: tell me everything

ShogiNinja: We met the Shadow Goro-kun was interrogating when we passed him back in December!

ShogiNinja: His name is Ito and I also now hope his upstairs neighbor floods their bathroom again

Crow: If you think he's bad wait until you meet Hamasaki's Shadow

prometheus_unbound: more details plz

Queen: Ito is one of Shido's accountants, Ueda is one of his secretaries, and Hamasaki is some sort of backer I suppose?

Queen: Ito and Ueda are both convinced Shido is a ~great statesman~ who is going to ~save the country~ and it gets annoying immediately 

_SelfPortraitAsAnInformationLeak changed their name to ArtFox_

ArtFox: The secretary puzzles me

ArtFox: She obviously objects to how he treats her, so why does she keep insisting she doesn't?

CountessMonteCristo: She hopes if she says it enough it will be true.

CountessMonteCristo: You can rationalize a lot

prometheus_unbound: ???

Queen: Apparently he was particularly unsubtle about looking down her shirt when she was fixing his email settings sometime recently

prometheus_unbound: gross

prometheus_unbound: wait

prometheus_unbound: you have access to shido's email settings?

Crow: And she generally knows several of his passwords, but that's only useful if you can keep the Shadow on the right topic long enough.

Crow: It was a total loss today, she only wanted to talk about the ogling.

Queen: And about how great he is. Very annoying.

CountessMonteCristo: Most importantly, the first set of doors are open, but not the second

prometheus_unbound: so proof of concept but no practical progress yet

prometheus_unbound: darn

CountessMonteCristo: Still, it seems to be working!

prometheus_unbound: wish it was working faster

ShogiNinja: If this is about my mother it really is under control

ArtFox: …

ShogiNinja: I don't want to hear that from YOU

Crow: There are two shady judges and a prosecutor with Shadows in Chemdah I'd like to to talk to

prometheus_unbound: and kanas parents are all the way down in akzeriyyuth

Queen: Sorry, who?

CountessMonteCristo: A friend of Futaba whose parents were in Mementos in the future.

CountessMonteCristo: Are in Mementos, rather, from what you said.

CountessMonteCristo: I don't think we discussed all the details?

prometheus_unbound: yeah probably not

prometheus_unbound: i never really understood it all i just heard bits and pieces but they suck

prometheus_unbound: and were still in the same class and this time im not a zombie so i can see she looks bad and i feel terrible not doing anything

ShogiNinja: :(

ArtFox: Well

ArtFox: Please don't think I'm minimizing the difficulty of this, but

ArtFox: You could talk to her? In school?

prometheus_unbound: …

ArtFox: That's how I've tried to help my atelier senpai

prometheus_unbound: yeah but they already talk to you

prometheus_unbound: kana stopped talking to me

prometheus_unbound: tho i guess technically that was last year

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: maybe after moms home

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.10** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Since we're still working on the doors, we should continue what we're doing with the prosecutors for now, I think.

CountessMonteCristo: If we can cut Shido's influence off there before it gets too rooted, that's less power for him and also much less stress on Mako-chan's sister.

Queen: I feel like that implies we have a much more solid plan than we actually do.

Queen: We're mostly trying to get the right people to ask the right questions, but we're mostly guessing at what any of those are.

Queen: People OR questions.

Crow: Hacking seems like it might be able to help with that, actually…?

Queen: Hmmm, maybe? Illegally obtained evidence isn't what we really want.

Crow: Still more admissible than Metaverse evidence.

prometheus_unbound: no promises but i can at least poke around a bit

prometheus_unbound: although not just at the moment because half my computers are shut down to pack

Queen: Pack?

prometheus_unbound: me and mom are moving in with sojiro this week!

prometheus_unbound: which is good

prometheus_unbound: but like the one upside last timeline of uncle yoji selling everything i own is i didnt have to pack

Queen: …

CountessMonteCristo: …

ShogiNinja: …

Crow: …

ArtFox: This is the man who, in two phone messages, convinced Kiyomi-senpai it was necessary for her to assume temporary responsibility for a teenager she'd never met before rather than leave him in charge

ArtFox: I'm not even surprised

prometheus_unbound: inari i dont think youve explained to anyone who your senpai are

ArtFox: They are

ArtFox: Too much to type about on a phone

prometheus_unbound: boooooooo

ShogiNinja: Wait a minute

ShogiNinja: Why didn't your uncle have a Palace?

prometheus_unbound: you know what thats a good question

prometheus_unbound: but weve got sidetracked, what are you currently doing with the prosecutor stuff?

Queen: To start with, we're

Queen: Actually I guess that's not exactly to start with

Queen: But one of the things we're trying to do is classify prosecutors and judges by two standards

Queen: First, are they corrupt in the traditional way where their work can be influenced by people give them money or property or do them favors

Queen: Second, do they agree with or follow Shido enough that it influences their work 

Crow: Or in short, do they like Shido

Queen: …

Queen: Not ALWAYS

Crow: Usually, though

CountessMonteCristo: He has a point

Queen: Fine, usually

Queen: What we really want to find is people who are both

Queen: That way we can try to get them in trouble for the provable corruption and deny Shido a supporter in the process

Queen: Getting them into trouble has been harder than we'd like, though 

Queen: Even a lot of mostly not corrupt ones won't investigate something their superiors want them to leave alone 

Queen: It's very frustrating

CountessMonteCristo: We have access to some of their Shadows, but either changes of heart or psychotic breakdowns would potentially attract attention we'd rather avoid

Crow: Rage fugues

CountessMonteCristo: Plus we haven't tried any Mementos-based changes of heart so I'm not sure how the calling card would work

prometheus_unbound: we just texted my uncle that we were going to steal his heart and it worked fine

prometheus_unbound: but thats a good point about attracting attention 

CountessMonteCristo: Especially with confirmation they know about the Metaverse

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: Although I'm not sure they'd immediately link either thing with the Metaverse?

prometheus_unbound: good question

prometheus_unbound: once shes out of the hospital ill ask mom what kind of theories they had about the metaverse affecting real world behavior

Queen: If we did more than one of either they'd notice something, though, and then they might look at all the other rage breakdowns or changes of heart, and many of those could be linked to us 

Queen: Even one would be a risk 

prometheus_unbound: what ARE all those psychotic breakdowns about, anyway? i didnt really see a pattern?

Queen: Everyone who's annoyed him in the last eighteen months

Crow: Rage fugues

Crow: And definitely not EVERYONE

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.12** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

Queen: So about my sister's future Palace?

CountessMonteCristo: Right, sorry, I've been meaning to explain that.

CountessMonteCristo: Um.

CountessMonteCristo: I'm not sure where to start?

ArtFox: It was a casino, centered on the courthouse

ArtFox: About the average degree of garish for a Palace?

prometheus_unbound: her shadow was really something though

ArtFox: I don't think it was any gaudier than Sensei's Shadow

Queen: …

Queen: Do I want to know?

prometheus_unbound: uh

CountessMonteCristo: Maybe?

Queen: Let me rephrase. I don't want to know, but please tell me anyway.

CountessMonteCristo: Um

CountessMonteCristo: Fishnets, tattoos, backless dress, spiked jewelry.

prometheus_unbound: enough eyeshadow to smother a hamster

ArtFox: Also a very memorable hat.

Queen: …

Queen: All right then.

Crow: Eh, I've seen worse.

CountessMonteCristo: Don't worry though Mako-chan! We'll keep it from happening this time.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.14** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

CountessMonteCristo: Yusuke, Futaba, Hifumi, I have friendship-chocolate ready for you when we meet up again!

ShogiNinja: Thank you!

ArtFox: Thank you

Queen: They're very good, Haru, thank you!

ShogiNinja: It will be nice to get something

ShogiNinja: Mother insisted I give out obligatory chocolate

ShogiNinja: Since she had already purchased it, it didn't seem worth arguing, but it was still tiresome

ArtFox: Two years ago Nakanohara-san asked Kiyomi-senpai if she was going to give him any obligatory chocolate, and she gave him a single M&M

CountessMonteCristo: I think I would like to meet Kiyomi-san

Crow: All right, that's what Takao is getting for White Day

Queen: Oh dear

ShogiNinja: Sorry, who?

Queen: A friend of mine from class who isn't involved in all this

Queen: I did try to tell her you didn't participate in Valentines Day — did she approach you anyway?

Crow: No

Crow: If she'd done that I could have politely declined like with everyone else, annoying but done.

Crow: She planted a box of chocolate in my bag

Crow: WITH a note saying that if I was worried about the cost of White Day we could work something out

Crow: Winky face

Queen: …

CountessMonteCristo: Do I need to have a word with her?

Crow: Thanks, but I'd rather handle this myself.

Crow: A single M&M seems appropriate

Queen: I am

Queen: Honestly not sure how she'd react to that

prometheus_unbound: you guys you guys you guys

prometheus_unbound: i think my mom and sojiro are trying to put the conspiracy people off the track by fake dating

CountessMonteCristo: !

ArtFox: …

prometheus_unbound: she got one of the nurses to buy chocolate from the gift shop and gave it to him

prometheus_unbound: what do i do

CountessMonteCristo: Well, from a subterfuge perspective, the same way you'd react if it was real, I think?

prometheus_bound: okay great WHAT DO I DO

CountessMonteCristo: Um

CountessMonteCristo: My father has never made me aware of any relationships he's pursued since my mother died

Queen: I'm mostly sure Sis doesn't date

ShogiNinja: I'm not sure anyone here is qualified to give advice, but for what it's worth I think threatening the suitor with grievous injury if they hurt your loved one's feelings is traditional?

prometheus_unbound: oh yeah okay

prometheus_unbound: threatening sojiro

prometheus_unbound: ill GET RIGHT ON THAT

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: besides hes a loved one too

CountessMonteCristo: Act really excited about it and start planning the hypothetical wedding, then, maybe?

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: that would be potentially hilarious but im not sure i could do it

prometheus_unbound: ill pretend i havent realized the chocolate implications until moms home and i can strategize with her

prometheus_unbound: only one more day!

ShogiNinja: Did you get everything unpacked okay?

prometheus_unbound: define 'everything'

prometheus_unbound: and 'okay'

prometheus_unbound: and 'unpacked'

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: anyone want to come over tonight and help unpack?

CountessMonteCristo: …

prometheus_unbound: sojiro will buy takeout?

ArtFox: Can I bring Hitoshi-senpai?

prometheus_unbound: sure!

ShogiNinja: I would, but I already had plans to spend this evening with my father, sorry.

prometheus_unbound: it is kinda last minute

Crow: Can't. Busy.

prometheus_unbound: fine

CountessMonteCristo: Unfortunately I should probably be studying. I've been falling a bit behind.

CountessMonteCristo: I'm sorry!

Queen: I can come? I can only stay so late, but I'd be happy to help as much as I can…

prometheus_unbound: great! ill send you the address

* * *

_**2015.02.14** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

ShogiNinja: How did the unpacking go?

Queen: Well

Queen: It turned out Sojiro-san thought I was you for the first hour and a half

prometheus_unbound: my bad

prometheus_unbound: i was doing the whole not telling them about haru and akechi thing and forgot i needed to say something when makoto came over

Queen: He was very nice

Queen: Although he seemed to have a little trouble dealing with

Queen: Um

ArtFox: Hitoshi-senpai felt very bad about dropping a box

prometheus_unbound: he had a panic attack about dropping a box

ArtFox: He felt bad about that, too. Thank you for helping him calm down.

prometheus_unbound: what the hell does madarame do when you guys fuck up?

ArtFox: Generally he makes you feel bad about yourself while pretending to be forgiving

ArtFox: This wasn't about Sensei

ArtFox: Apart from how Sensei doesn't want Hitoshi-senpai to see a doctor the way Kiyomi-senpai wants him to

Queen: …

Queen: Is he all right?

ArtFox: …

ArtFox: He will be, this time

ArtFox: I'm going to make sure of it

CountessMonteCristo: Yusuke, I'm very sorry, but I'm not entirely clear on what did happen to him last time?

prometheus_unbound: not surprising im pretty sure his name never came up even when they were dealing with madarame

prometheus_unbound: he died

prometheus_unbound: uh

prometheus_unbound: like two months from now i think???

ArtFox: Yes

ShogiNinja: Is that why you don't want to tell them about the time travel?

ArtFox: Mostly

CountessMonteCristo: He's sick?

ArtFox: …

ArtFox: Yes

ArtFox: Last time Kiyomi-senpai had left because she couldn't deal with Sensei anymore, and Sensei didn't care, and I didn't realize how bad it was getting and he never said, and he died.

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: inari

CountessMonteCristo: May I ask about the diagnosis?

ArtFox: …

Crow: …

CountessMonteCristo: …

Queen: I suppose there hasn't been a diagnosis if he hasn't seen a doctor?

Queen: Wait, am I missing something?

Crow: …

ShogiNinja: …

Queen: …

prometheus_unbound: i have no idea what at least half of you are trying to convey

prometheus_unbound: mr information leak is having trouble saying that hitoshi-san killed himself last time

prometheus_unbound: obviously were planning to prevent that

ArtFox: Thank you Futaba

ArtFox: Kiyomi-senpai being here should help, and he never started drinking so that's a good sign

ArtFox: I'm merely irrationally anxious

CountessMonteCristo: I COMPLETELY understand

CountessMonteCristo: Let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

prometheus_unbound: sojiro wasnt angry or anything about the panic attack

prometheus_unbound: just concerned

prometheus_unbound: and not really sure how to deal with it since he hasnt had to deal with me having a complete breakdown in this timeline

prometheus_unbound: lol

Queen: …

ShogiNinja: …

CountessMonteCristo: …

Queen: At any rate

Queen: I hope Sojiro-san didn't blame himself for the situation

Queen: Since he was the only person other than me throwing his takeout containers away rather than leaving them on the floor to be tripped on and make people drop boxes

Queen: Hitoshi-san said he must have left it there himself but I don't think he was eating noodles

prometheus_unbound: …

ArtFox: …

Queen: …

prometheus_unbound: so are you guys going to mementos again tomorrow or what?

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.15** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Did everything go all right with your mother leaving the hospital?

prometheus_unbound: yup!

prometheus_unbound: home safe and sound

prometheus_unbound: she still cant stand for long without help and has way too much physical therapy stuff coming up

prometheus_unbound: but

prometheus_unbound: well

prometheus_unbound: you know

prometheus_unbound: im feeling really good about this

CountessMonteCristo: I understand completely

ShogiNinja: So what's first — talking about Metaverse stuff or trying to figure out what the exact story with the fake dating is?

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: hmmm

Queen: If she has any information on what the bad guys are trying to DO in the Metaverse that would be very helpful

prometheus_unbound: yeah

prometheus_unbound: shes going to have a lot of questions for me first though

CountessMonteCristo: Could you possibly keep us up to date on what you've told her?

ArtFox: And also maintain a list of things you would like us to be careful NOT to tell her in the event that we meet

prometheus_unbound: yyyyyyyyeah ill do that

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.16** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

Queen: 99% sure the Maeda case is actually going somewhere

Crow: Oh?

Queen: Sis said she's starting a potentially sensitive and high-profile case.

Queen: …And asked me not to answer any questions anyone asked about what she was working on but never mind that part.

CountessMonteCristo: That's wonderful!

ShogiNinja: I think you guys told me who that was

ShogiNinja: Was he the one who was buying and selling all those vacation cabins in Hokkaido and had no idea what he was doing?

Queen: No, that's Arima

Queen: Maeda's taking bribes from yakuza, you guys didn't meet his Shadow

Crow: He's not as directly linked to Shido but shutting him down would still be good

Queen: I'm thinking back off of Maeda in particular for a bit so we don't get in Sis's way? See where she's going with it?

CountessMonteCristo: Take some trips to the circus instead?

CountessMonteCristo: That's the SIU Director's Palace, everyone! It's very obnoxious.

ShogiNinja: Worse than Shadow Hamasaki?

Crow: Shadow Hamasaki doesn't have nonstop organ music

Crow: There's a Palace I haven't taken you to — I've only been there twice, but it had significantly better loot than Mementos and I don't think it's more dangerous than the lab.

prometheus_unbound: ok yeah inari and hifumi both need cash so that wouldnt be a bad idea

Queen: Considering that finals are coming up within the next month, practice and loot trips might be preferable to in-depth investigating.

CountessMonteCristo: Alas, finals

Queen: Do you need help studying?

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: No

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.18** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: We are missing you in the labyrinth Palace, Oracle

prometheus_unbound: ???

prometheus_unbound: math puzzle?

CountessMonteCristo: None of us remembered that "monk of the valley" Shadows repelled wind

ShogiNinja: I'm really sorry

prometheus_unbound: oh

prometheus_unbound: ow?

ArtFox: Hifumi has definitely been getting stronger

prometheus_unbound: ow

prometheus_unbound: those were on the ship, right?

prometheus_unbound: i hope this was a weaker version like the guard dogs etc in the temple?

ArtFox: We think so

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.19** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: so two things

prometheus_unbound: first since akira isnt here all the rest of you need to praise me for talking to kana at school!

CountessMonteCristo: Well done Futaba!

prometheus_unbound: yeah i talked about my mom being sick and uncle yoji and how i didnt know what was going on which her and i didnt need to i just want to help which leads me to

prometheus_unbound: second

prometheus_unbound: i may have told her that if she needs to be somewhere else for a few days i know someone she can crash with no questions asked

prometheus_unbound: and mom would ask

prometheus_unbound: so uh

prometheus_unbound: any volunteers?

Crow: Let me think

ArtFox: Well

ArtFox: Technically

Crow: Haru can do it and no one else can

ArtFox: If absolutely necessary Kiyomi-senpai could probably come up with something

Queen: This is probably a stupid question

Queen: But why does it need to be no questions asked?

Queen: If they're abusing her and we can't get to them in the Metaverse, maybe we SHOULD tell an adult?

prometheus_unbound: i promised her no questions asked

Crow: Whether that would help depends on a lot of specific circumstances.

Crow: Starting with whether she gets a competent social worker. An incompetent one would probably make them mad and not do anything else. Corrupt isn't as common as incompetent but it happens, too.

Crow: But even given a good one it depends.

Crow: How severe is the abuse? Does she have other relatives she could be placed with and would they be any better?

Crow: If there aren't other relatives she's likely to end up in a group home, considering her age and that she's ~damaged~. 

Crow: Which, unless group homes for girls are drastically different, is unlikely to be… ideal.

Crow: But still a better option than SOME families.

Queen: I see

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: thanks

prometheus_unbound: i didnt know you were such an expert

Crow: Did Future Evil Me never mention the throwaway child thing?

prometheus_unbound: uh probably to akira

prometheus_unbound: Evil You told everyone about shido before he died and then later akira told us your mom died

prometheus_unbound: didnt really put the pieces together but probably should have

Crow: Is he as easy to talk to in real life as he is in dreams?

CountessMonteCristo: Yes

prometheus_unbound: yes

ArtFox: Yes, definitely

CountessMonteCristo: At any rate

CountessMonteCristo: You think Kana-chan is making the right choice?

Crow: I didn't say that

Crow: Look

Crow: If I've learned one thing in the past six months 

Crow: The past year

Crow: It's that sometimes other people can help

Crow: And just because you can stick it out doesn't mean that's the best choice

Crow: And since she's NOT a mysterious Metaverse entity she's probably partially operating on a lifetime of conditioning of parents=good

Crow: And the truth is people being your biological parents guarantees fuck all

Crow: They're not going to magically get better because she wants them to

Crow: They'll magically get better if we do the heart change brainwashing thing, but

Crow: Honestly if it were me I'd rather be secure on my own than with 'parents' brainwashed to be nice to me 

Crow: It's creepy

prometheus_unbound: …

ShogiNinja: 'mysterious Metaverse entity'???

Queen: I'll tell you later

CountessMonteCristo: Please don't

CountessMonteCristo: There are reasons other than a lifetime of conditioning to not want to cut your parents off.

CountessMonteCristo: But neither of us knows Kana-chan's exact circumstances.

prometheus_unbound: yeah neither do i

prometheus_unbound: she doesnt want to talk about it so i just know what she didnt want to tell me about costumes and crap

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: crow

prometheus_unbound: would you be willing to talk to kana about her options? if i can get her to talk about it?

Crow: …

Crow: Probably

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.21** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: does anyone have a spare phone they can take into the metaverse to get the metanav and then give to me and mom to dissect?

prometheus_unbound: shes kind of hung up on someone possibly creating the app

prometheus_unbound: i need to dissect a phone to show how its definitely not something the conspiracy people could have created

prometheus_unbound: and would rather not do mine

CountessMonteCristo: I should be able to get one

ArtFox: You still have my old one, don't you?

prometheus_unbound: good point

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: although im not quite sure where its gone with the whole moving thing

prometheus_unbound: i need to check some boxes

ShogiNinja: How unpacked are you?

prometheus_unbound: all my computers are set up

CountessMonteCristo: Goro, did you end up in the Metaverse without the app, or…?

Crow: I purchased a secondhand phone. It was apparently preinstalled.

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: huh

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.23** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: kana agreed to talk to someone

prometheus_unbound: crow can you please meet us at harus

Crow: …

Crow: All right

CountessMonteCristo: I'll be there, too!

Queen: …Good luck?

* * *

_**2015.02.23** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: welp

prometheus_unbound: theres nothing for it

prometheus_unbound: im going to have to set them on fire

ShogiNinja: …

ArtFox: …

CountessMonteCristo: …

Queen: What happened?

CountessMonteCristo: I'm not sure. I introduced her at the lobby desk as someone to be sent up immediately, that went fine, and we came up. It seemed like a good discussion and then everyone had to leave for various curfews before explaining what was going on.

CountessMonteCristo: Goro was very smiling and personable and nonthreatening when Kana-chan was here, and then as soon as she and Futaba were gone he threw a plate against the wall and said he had to go.

prometheus_unbound: like i knew it wasnt good but i never really thought about what it WAS

prometheus_unbound: like hey

prometheus_unbound: she wanted to make up with them, and "weird costumes" and "photos" is bad if she doesnt want to but just weird, right?

CountessMonteCristo: In between talking about guardianship and social services they got Kana-chan to describe what was going on a little more? It all sounded strange to me, but I have to say when I heard costumes and photographs I was expecting worse…

Crow: Yes

Crow: They aren't overtly or conventionally sexual, and they aren't trying to market her as a gravure idol, which would be bad enough itself

Crow: But based on the details our best guess is plausibly deniable fetish photography

CountessMonteCristo: …

Queen: Oh no

Crow: Right

Crow: So a naive investigator might just think they're weird, not criminal

Crow: And blackmailing them, which was my backup idea for pornographers, is more complicated

prometheus_unbound: so im just going to have to set them on fire is all

Crow: How many paths down are their Shadows in Mementos? 

Crow: I could do another track run

Queen: You can not do another track run

Crow: Public rage fugues. With backup to keep frenzied Shadows from killing me, I could probably stack the spell for increased impact.

CountessMonteCristo: OR we could change their hearts

Crow: That might make it easier to get them to permanently surrender custody, so not a bad idea, but I'd really rather rage fugue first. Cover all the bases.

ArtFox: But we still don't have access to that part of Mementos

prometheus_unbound: so ill just have to set them on fire

Crow: Kana-san won't thank you if you get arrested for failing to murder her parents

CountessMonteCristo: No one is setting anyone on fire without a FOOLPROOF plan not to get caught.

Queen: …

Crow: We need to get to them in the Metaverse, and then we can set them on fire before the rage fugue.

ShogiNinja: Running along the tracks sounds really dangerous, and from what you've said about where the trains go boarding them would be worse, but what about riding on top of a train?

ShogiNinja: After an agility enhancement maybe?

Queen: …

ArtFox: Still a considerable risk 

Crow: Worth considering, though

Queen: Do they even have enough clearance in the tunnels to be on top of a train?

prometheus_unbound: something to look into

prometheus_unbound: since im still out im going to try to open doors with medjed 

prometheus_unbound: something showy

prometheus_unbound: maybe ill doxx a few offensive gamers

Queen: …

prometheus_unbound: youre right thats not very impressive 

prometheus_unbound: maybe a few thousand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I found out, QUITE belatedly, that there is in Japan this whole thing called [gravure idols/modeling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_\(person\)#Gravure_idols). This is most likely what the Kana situation was actually supposed to be. I suspect it may have been STATED to be that in the Japanese and they left that part out of the English version because it _really doesn't translate well_. (Edit edit: Further research indicates not? IDEK.)
> 
> However I am at this point thoroughly committed to Kana's parents violating taboos, not just being super sketchy, so we'll just say they thought about the gravure idol path, but idols need to be marketed, and they kind of sucked at it. All I added here was someone mentioning it as a possible but incorrect explanation.


	2. 2/24-3/7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...This chapter goes up to March 7th and it is currently March 7th in my timezone. This is not quite a total coincidence; I was about to post it going through March 8th, noticed the 'date posted' was saying March 8th, thought 'haha that's funny', realized it WASN'T March 8th locally... Anyway.
> 
> I'm thinking one more chapter? But I've got to get to March 30th, so two might be a better guess... well, we'll see.

_**2015.02.24** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: I see you weren't kidding about the few thousand gamers.

prometheus_unbound: i wasnt but dont give me too much credit

prometheus_unbound: i havent gotten even a hundred yet

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: how do you even know about it i know it hasnt hit any mainstream news sites

CountessMonteCristo: I looked.

ShogiNinja: Where, where?

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: [link]

CountessMonteCristo: Though you could easily find it yourself.

prometheus_unbound: right

CountessMonteCristo: That aside — do you know what Kana-chan is planning herself? What she thought about the discussion of social services and so on?

prometheus_unbound: do nothing for now i think

prometheus_unbound: though she said she was going to look into whatever extended family she has

prometheus_unbound: i should do that too

CountessMonteCristo: I hope you find something useful

prometheus_unbound: me too

prometheus_unbound: why is there so much to doooooooo

prometheus_unbound: im really glad mom is feeling better but auuuggghhhh

ArtFox: ???

prometheus_unbound: mom has a lot of questions about my

prometheus_unbound: our

prometheus_unbound: metaverse experience

prometheus_unbound: and the last timeline

prometheus_unbound: and i do NOT think she needs to know EVERYTHING about the last timeline and its hard to make sure to explain things in a way she wont notice has holes in it

prometheus_unbound: AND homework

prometheus_unbound: AND kana

prometheus_unbound: AND medjed

prometheus_unbound: AND sojiro is talking about opening a cafe to make it clear to the conspiracy people hes too busy to make trouble and i kind of want to make sure its the same leblanc? but im not sure how to do that

prometheus_unbound: and oh right we havent talked about the fake dating thing either

prometheus_unbound: not that i really want to but we should

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: That's a lot.

Queen: That's making me look relaxed and undercommitted.

Queen: …

Queen: But I'm having trouble seeing what parts of it you could delegate.

prometheus_unbound: yeah

prometheus_unbound: what are you up to?

Queen: Just metaverse stuff, school, student council, and making sure Sis doesn't notice anything strange is going on

Queen: Student council is a time sink, though.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.26** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

Queen: Would anyone here like to offer any comment on the man who went berserk and barehandedly tore apart a train station food kiosk while raving about ungrateful degenerates?

prometheus_unbound: wait what?

Queen: CROW?

ShogiNinja: ???

Crow: …

Crow: No.

CountessMonteCristo: Is that a 'no, you wouldn't like to offer any comment' or a 'no, you had nothing to do with it'?

prometheus_unbound: i SEE

prometheus_unbound: ive been so busy expanding medjeds profile the last few days i havent checked for psychotic breakdowns

ArtFox: Hifumi, did we ever explain the psychotic breakdowns?

ShogiNinja: …sort of?

Crow: Rage fugues.

Crow: If I were going to comment, I would comment that while attending Jikken I heard a lot of rumors that I didn't follow up on immediately.

Crow: And some of them very much deserved to be followed up on.

ArtFox: …

prometheus_unbound: i really dont know how to react to that

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: Do you feel better now?

Crow: …

Crow: Somewhat.

Crow: …

Crow: Not really.

Crow: But no one else was hurt, and he's facing SOME sort of consequence.

Queen: PLEASE tell me at least this one doesn't have an obvious connection to you.

Crow: I don't think the last one was obvious.

Queen: If you could figure out he was responsible for your not getting a flu shot, someone else could draw a line from him back to the group home.

Queen: Thus far no one HAS, because looking for past embezzlement isn't part of the standard response when someone flips out and sets fire to a buffet, but they COULD.

ArtFox: Wait a minute

Crow: …

Crow: He's never had a material impact on me that I'm aware of. You could connect him to two students at Jikken, only one of them in my year. I've never directly spoken to either of them.

Queen: Okay, that's… probably not a problem.

Queen: But I WISH you would warn us about these things ahead of time.

ArtFox: Set fire to a buffet

ArtFox: Was this New Year's Eve?

Crow: …

Crow: Yes

ArtFox: If you know what he did, you must have followed up on the incident — I assume he was not in any way at a spiritual retreat?

Crow: Uh, no. He was at a resort.

ArtFox: That's what I thought.

Crow: …

Crow: I'm confused.

prometheus_unbound: madarame was on a ""spiritual retreat"" that was completely ruined when someone set fire to the buffet, he said on the phone

prometheus_unbound: i think everyone was already pretty sure it wasnt a spiritual retreat but its nice to have confirmation i guess?

prometheus_unbound: but seriously did you spend new years eve in mementos just to give some guy a psychotic breakdown?

Crow: Rage fugue.

Crow: And only an hour or two, and some RICHLY DESERVING guy.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.27** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: It appears riding on top of the Mementos trains will not work.

CountessMonteCristo: No one is able to actually hang on to them. Everyone just immediately slides off.

prometheus_unbound: drat

prometheus_unbound: well, we knew it was a long shot

prometheus_unbound: …should i ask who slid off the train?

ShogiNinja: It would be faster to say who didn't slide off the train.

Queen: Haru made Goro sit out because none of the rest of us have a Persona that can do revivals and she thought this would be a really stupid way to waste a revival bead.

Crow: Not that anyone actually needed to be revived.

Crow: But I probably wouldn't have done any better than everyone else in sticking to the train, so it doesn't much matter.

Crow: On a different subject, how is Kana-san?

prometheus_unbound: i think just talking about it may have made her feel a little better?

prometheus_unbound: i think she seems a bit better at least

Crow: Mmm.

Crow: If you think it's appropriate, I wouldn't object to your giving her my phone number.

prometheus_unbound: wouldnt do much good if i did

prometheus_unbound: she doesnt have a phone

* * *

* * *

_**2015.02.28** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: mom is still a little shaky but back on her feet!

prometheus_unbound: and really wants to do a metaverse trip to try out her persona and stuff which im a little leery of but hopefully its the first step to getting ME back in action

prometheus_unbound: so im thinking maybe the museum? all of us are pretty overleveled for that

prometheus_unbound: and its a little less conspicuous than milling around shibuya station

prometheus_unbound: especially if theres a time soon madarame wont be around? inari?

ArtFox: …Possibly.

ShogiNinja: Can I come? I'm really curious about her Persona.

prometheus_unbound: sure

prometheus_unbound: everyone can come if you want

Crow: Thanks, but no.

CountessMonteCristo: I'm not sure?

Queen: I'll come if I can, but don't reschedule it for me.

prometheus_unbound: we still have to schedule it at all

ArtFox: Kiyomi-senpai says Sensei will be away from the atelier most of tomorrow afternoon

prometheus_unbound: and sunday so no school

ShogiNinja: Sounds good

Queen: Sis is supposed to be having dinner with me tomorrow, so I'm afraid I'll have to pass.

prometheus_unbound: drat. well, hope she makes it?

prometheus_unbound: you up for it inari?

ArtFox: Yes

ArtFox: But before I meet your mother could I please have that list of things not to mention to her?

prometheus_unbound: shiiiiiiit right that

prometheus_unbound: medjed

prometheus_unbound: anything about my palace

prometheus_unbound: that i had a palace at all

prometheus_unbound: how uncle yoji treated me last timeline

prometheus_unbound: that i thought mom dying was my fault

prometheus_unbound: just dont mention any of that and itll be fine

ArtFox: …

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.01** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: haru i need you to kill me 

prometheus_unbound: youre my only hope

CountessMonteCristo: What's wrong?! I thought you were taking your mother to the museum Palace!

prometheus_unbound: KILL ME

ShogiNinja: We did and nothing terrible happened, so don't worry!

ShogiNinja: There appears to have been a slight miscommunication about weapons.

Queen: ???

ArtFox: Specifically Futaba evidently forgot to inform her mother that replica weapons become effective in the Metaverse, so she showed up with actual weapons.

CountessMonteCristo: !

CountessMonteCristo: Did Sakura-san get her a gun?

prometheus_unbound: that would have been scary but less embarrassing 

prometheus_unbound: we get to the shack and get out of the car and she opens up her bag and pulls out a tire iron

prometheus_unbound: and a cooler

prometheus_unbound: full of little glass bottles

prometheus_unbound: most of them stoppered with cloth! because they're full of rubbing alcohol and meant to be molotov cocktails!

prometheus_unbound: that was most of them!

prometheus_unbound: because she hasnt had a chance to field-test the ones which are meant, when broken, to mix bleach and vinegar and create chlorine gas!

prometheus_unbound: she doesnt know what kind of dispersion theyll get and they could be really dangerous if we stood too close!

CountessMonteCristo: …

prometheus_unbound: WHEN HAS SHE EVEN BEEN MAKING THEM ALL

Crow: …

prometheus_unbound: IS THAT WHAT SHES BEEN DOING WHILE IM AT SCHOOL ALL DAY

Queen: Chlorine gas.

prometheus_unbound: SKIPPING PT TO MAKE MOLOTOV COCKTAILS

prometheus_unbound: DID SHE SWAP OUT NORMAL PT WITH LIFTING WEIGHTS MEANING TIRE IRONS

CountessMonteCristo: I'm impressed. 

prometheus_unbound: you know who else could conceivably be described as impressed? inaris senpai who were standing right there and who probably think shes a psychopath

Queen: Chlorine. Gas.

ArtFox: Kiyomi-senpai doesn't think your mother is a psychopath. 

ArtFox: She just feels very strongly about limiting potentially volatile substances in the atelier.

ShogiNinja: …Is there a story behind that to make all of us hate Madarame even more???

ArtFox: …

Crow: So does the 'setting people on fire' thing run in the family or did you develop it independently?

prometheus_unbound: ...

prometheus_unbound: brb need to swipe some molotov cocktails 

CountessMonteCristo: GORO DO NOT ENCOURAGE FUTABA TO SET PEOPLE ON FIRE

ShogiNinja: I wonder where she got all the little bottles?

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.02** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: the good news is sojiro and mom are taking the initiative to smooth things over with inaris senpai and have invited all three of them to dinner tomorrow

CountessMonteCristo: Is there bad news?

prometheus_unbound: not bad exactly

prometheus_unbound: just

prometheus_unbound: thats going to be a lot of opportunities for someone to hear something theyre not supposed to hear

ArtFox: I wrote down the list of things not to mention in front of your mother

ArtFox: And I don't think Kiyomi-senpai and Hitoshi-senpai know about any of it

ArtFox: In the other direction your mother and Sojiro-san just need to not mention the time travel, right?

prometheus_unbound: well

prometheus_unbound: i guess

prometheus_unbound: it depends on how awkward it would be for mom to ask about the power and the hot water heater and stuff

prometheus_unbound: shes kinda worried

ArtFox: …

prometheus_unbound: hey you didnt say not to tell anyone

ArtFox: …

ShogiNinja: …

ArtFox: Does she know about Hifumi's mother

ShogiNinja: I think Wakaba-san has MORE than enough on her plate already

CountessMonteCristo: Should the rest of us visit the labyrinth again?

Queen: Alternatively we could review math.

CountessMonteCristo: …

ShogiNinja: …

ShogiNinja: Maybe I'll spend some time with my dad.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.03** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: inari when i said it was good that you had written down the list of things not to tell my mom i did not mean CARRY THE LIST WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES AND CONSULT IT CONSPICUOUSLY DURING DINNER

ArtFox: It wasn't that conspicuous

ArtFox: And I only looked at it once

ArtFox: They didn't see, did they?

prometheus_unbound: no

prometheus_unbound: but you about gave me a heart attack

CountessMonteCristo: The math review about gave me one

prometheus_unbound: but havent you done it all before?

CountessMonteCristo: Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I remember it all.

CountessMonteCristo: Yusuke, you don't remember everything from school, do you?

ArtFox: Some of it I don't think I ever remembered.

Queen: Do you need help studying, too?

ArtFox: Possibly once I'm in high school. The remainder of middle school hardly matters.

Queen: …

ShogiNinja: Under two weeks to go!

Crow: Under two weeks to fucking White Day, I need to buy some M&Ms.

prometheus_unbound: at any rate museum try 2 is day after tomorrow

prometheus_unbound: mom promised to bring only fake, nonvolatile molotov cocktails

prometheus_unbound: mockotovs?

prometheus_unbound: everyones invited again

Queen: Unfortunately all us Shuujin students should probably be studying for the Japanese exam Friday. Rumors are it's a killer.

Queen: Sorry, I do want to come, one of these days.

Queen: Bound to be less obnoxious than interviewing Shadow Hamasaki.

Crow: Well THAT'S undeniable.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.04** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: hey inari can me and mom see your self-portrait tomorrow?

ArtFox: Yes

ArtFox: Or actually

ArtFox: Yes, if you and she promise not to climb through it, jump through it, or reach into it

ArtFox: …

ArtFox: Or damage it

prometheus_unbound: can we throw things through it?

ArtFox: If you want to?

prometheus_unbound: okay never mind mom says throwing things through it wouldnt be useful right now

prometheus_unbound: she misses the labs sensors and stuff

CountessMonteCristo: Did you ask her about their theories about the Metaverse influencing real-world behavior?

prometheus_unbound: no but i can do that now

Queen: They have to know it can, right? Or they wouldn't care about it enough to try to kill someone, it would just be academic.

prometheus_unbound: it sounds like they were mostly interested in the potential for large scale stuff?

prometheus_unbound: like 'find the magic frequency that you can project into the metaverse to settle civic unrest'

Crow: Oh, THAT'S not going to get misused at all.

prometheus_unbound: tell me about it

Queen: But if they think it can affect everyone's behavior they must know it can affect individuals' behavior, right?

prometheus_unbound: mom says they dont understand palaces much at all and are shaky on shadows

prometheus_unbound: theyve been taking metaverse readings and experimenting with broadcasts since last summer but they only "achieved physical access" in november

prometheus_unbound: and from the lab could only get into moms palace which they could tell wasnt the same broader metaverse they were getting readings on earlier but they werent sure what it was

prometheus_unbound: mom didnt tell anyone she thought it might be connected to her somehow

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: she doesnt know why she thought that apparently

prometheus_unbound: and shadows theyd apparently heard of from some sealed research they got a peek at?????

prometheus_unbound: but mostly the really general nonpersonal kind of shadows

prometheus_unbound: she doesnt think theyd gotten to the point of even trying to find individuals shadows

CountessMonteCristo: Hmmm. I think that's probably good for us. Be better if they didn't know anything, but…

prometheus_unbound: uh oh, she says they do know about personas though

prometheus_unbound: from that past research

prometheus_unbound: they know a persona would be useful to explore the metaverse but they are really really fuzzy on where they come from

prometheus_unbound: …

CountessMonteCristo: What are you thinking?

prometheus_unbound: not sure yet

prometheus_unbound: mostly wondering about the last timeline

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.05** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: so museum try 2 went a lot better

prometheus_unbound: moms codename is now archive!

prometheus_unbound: her persona is weird though

prometheus_unbound: kind of like a navigator?

prometheus_unbound: but it doesnt detect or record info on shadows at all

prometheus_unbound: it just maps all the infrastructure

ArtFox: It also identified all of the portrait-cognitions

ArtFox: The names of the students, I mean.

prometheus_unbound: yeah so it might get info on more active cognitions too

prometheus_unbound: but not shadows?

prometheus_unbound: and shes still trying to get a handle on magic but so far it only seems to do defense boosts shields and status effect fixes

prometheus_unbound: and some stuff were still trying to work out but im pretty sure its not normal attack magic

Crow: What about vulnerabilities and resistances?

prometheus_unbound: resists everything

prometheus_unbound: so mom figures mostly she'll let it protect her while she hits things with a tire iron and throws mockotovs around

Crow: That's something

Crow: Defarge is weak to everything, it's a pain

Queen: Sometimes literally a pain, if we screw up

ShogiNinja: The mockotovs were really impressive I thought!

ShogiNinja: They blow up in different colors.

ArtFox: And do mostly gun-type damage, which is a little strange.

prometheus_unbound: please dont ask me to explain because i REALLY cant

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: so are all you guys set for your killer exam tomorrow

Crow: Yes

Queen: I don't want to be too confident but I think I've studied enough!

CountessMonteCristo: …

Queen: …

CountessMonteCristo: I studied. I DID study. If I'm not ready it's NOT because I didn't study.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.06** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: I think I had another dream with Akira last night, but I spent the entire time trying to talk to him about the Japanese exam.

Queen: I wish I knew why I wasn't having them.

prometheus_unbound: you might just not be remembering them

prometheus_unbound: mine either started after i remembered the last timeline or else i forgot all the earlier ones

ArtFox: Still mostly dreaming about the museum.

prometheus_unbound: ugh

CountessMonteCristo: Goro, do you mind if we ask about you?

Crow: …

Crow: I had one last week, but we mostly talked about

Crow: The guy who eventually attacked the train station food kiosk.

Queen: …

Queen: Did he try to talk you out of it or is he picking his battles?

Crow: …

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.07** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

ShogiNinja: Only one last week of middle school!

ShogiNinja: I'm very excited.

Crow: Okay that DOES it

ShogiNinja: ???

Crow: Not you

Crow: Futaba-san. Yusuke-san.

Crow: DO YOU KNOW WHY WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN RID OF KAMOSHIDA YET.

Queen: !

ArtFox: Uh

ArtFox: No?

Queen: So… he's done with the basketball coach, then?

Crow: I haven't checked anywhere but apparently

Crow: I just had to retake a new version of the Japanese exam

Crow: Because FUCKING Kamoshida convinced the teacher my scores were 'suspiciously high' and I must have copied off other students

Crow: There are maybe four students in this GRADE whose answers I'd trust above my own and none of them sit anywhere near me.

Queen: ...

Crow: I wouldn't cheat anyway, I'm staying clean here, promise.

Crow: And I don't need to cheat anyway.

Crow: But

Crow: Well, anyway, it was ridiculous and I had to do the exam again and it was annoying

Crow: And I thought I was getting some of the teachers towards understanding that I really, GENUINELY am good at school, no tricks.

prometheus_unbound: annoying

prometheus_unbound: you have any idea why hes targeting you?

Crow: Best guess is perceived vulnerability? I didn't step on his toes that I know of.

prometheus_unbound: that guy is such a creep

Crow: Yes. So WHY HAVE WE NOT GOTTEN RID OF HIM.

Queen: I really thought I was going to crack first.

ShogiNinja: ???

Queen: The two of us have been… pushing each other to ask Haru why not Kamoshida since… June?

CountessMonteCristo: …

ArtFox: Why didn't either of you ask earlier?

Crow: …

Queen: …

CountessMonteCristo: I can guess.

CountessMonteCristo: Possibly I should have explained it after the time travel came up — I couldn't really explain it without that, but, well, anyway—

CountessMonteCristo: 'Why not Kamoshida' is that Akira and Ryuji and Ann all awoke their Personas due to confronting Kamoshida's Shadow, and I don't know how things would play out without that.

CountessMonteCristo: And that Palace is a place where Mona-chan might be, at a particular date. Worth a try, at least.

Crow: So not a cosmic fixed point, but possibly a practical one. I see.

CountessMonteCristo: A what?

prometheus_unbound: wed all better hope cosmic fixed points dont exist because none of us are qualified to identify them and were changing shit everywhere

Queen: You've heard of those, too? Where do you even read about these things?

prometheus_unbound: …

Crow: …

prometheus_unbound: secret professional nerd sources

prometheus_unbound: whos up for the museum tomorrow?


	3. 3/8-3/15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I specifically decided that I wasn't going to just post this when I finished The Interminable 3/15 Chatlog, but what the hell.
> 
> _Edit 2/7/2021: Some minor alterations for The Retcondo, late in the chapter_

_**2015.03.08** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

Queen: Futaba's mother is terrifying with a tire iron.

prometheus_unbound: shadow madarame took one look at her and ran away without even trying to monologue

ShogiNinja: It was REALLY funny.

CountessMonteCristo: So she's going along with… us working in the Metaverse, then?

Queen: I'm not sure I'd say that.

Queen: It's clear all the rest of us are, what did you call it, 'overleveled' for the museum, right? So it's a fairly safe setting to experiment in, and she doesn't object to experimenting.

Queen: I'm not so sure she wouldn't have concerns about our… directly tackling a problem.

prometheus_unbound: come ooooooon

Queen: You must have noticed, too.

Queen: You were dropping all those hints about the benefits of changing Madarame's heart as soon as possible and she was pretending not to notice them.

CountessMonteCristo: Hmmmmmm.

prometheus_unbound: shell come around

prometheus_unbound: she will

ArtFox: What hints?

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.09** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

Queen: Kita-senpai is suggesting I should take over her student council position next year.

CountessMonteCristo: Congratulations!

Queen: But do I really want to get more involved with student council?

Queen: It takes up a lot of time. 

CountessMonteCristo: Noooooo Mako-chan you can't not do student council because of me!

Queen: It's not because of you

Queen: It's because 

Queen: Hmmm

prometheus_unbound: because student council is stupid?

Queen: I don't think I told you why I dropped the injury-documenting project

CountessMonteCristo: Um, no, you didn't?

ShogiNinja: Injuries?

prometheus_unbound: ooooohhhhh was this a volleyball thing?

ArtFox: ...

ArtFox: Is that safe?

CountessMonteCristo: NO it was NOT, so mostly I was glad she seemed to have stopped and didn't ask why.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: Why?

Queen: Because I mentioned the possibility to someone else in student council, just as a hypothetical, and they told me it's been done.

Queen: Before we got to Shuujin, there were some student council members who spent two years exhaustively documenting every injury incurred in any school activity.

Queen: Everything I was thinking about doing and more. 

Queen: They had plots over time and statistical analyses and research into other schools.

Queen: They showed it to the rest of the student council and everyone was horrified.

Queen: They took it to Kobayakawa and he told them to get rid of it.

Queen: Threatened to kick them out of student council with vague black marks on their records if they didn't. 

Queen: And they'd invested so much of their hopes for the future into being student council that they did it. They dropped it. They all dropped it.

CountessMonteCristo: …

Crow: The only part of that which surprises me is that they tried to begin with. 

Crow: He has a Palace, remember?

ArtFox: He actively tried to shut the Thieves down last timeline, too.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: He must have 

CountessMonteCristo: I was going to say he must have done something right for the conspiracy to have him killed, but that's really not true, is it?

CountessMonteCristo: He just outlived his usefulness.

prometheus_unbound: to everyone

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: Anyway

CountessMonteCristo: You don't have any other reason to pursue student council? You were so good at it!

Queen: It would have benefits for me, personally. It would look good on applications. Sis would be pleased.

Crow: Not that I'm a big student council fan, but you do seem to enjoy the work?

Queen: It's… engaging? I AM good at it, and it's… satisfying to do things you're good at.

Queen: But it's not accomplishing anything meaningful.

prometheus_unbound: youre allowed to have hobbies

prometheus_unbound: hifumis not competing but she is playing a lot of amateur shogi to keep in practice

ShogiNinja: And get better for real.

prometheus_unbound: inari sure hasnt stopped painting

ArtFox: That's not a "hobby", and it IS meaningful.

prometheus_unbound: you know what i mean

prometheus_unbound: its not connected to phantom thieves work

prometheus_unbound: unless youre doing another magic painting???

ArtFox: …

ArtFox: Not that I'm aware of, but then that was also the case with 'Self-Portrait as a Cognition', so who knows?

prometheus_unbound: fair enough

CountessMonteCristo: And Futaba and I have both been devoting a lot of attention to family which you can't do because your sister is so busy right now.

CountessMonteCristo: You should do something just for you!

Queen: Well

Queen: Kita-senpai's position, then.

Queen: But I'm not committing to anything more than that.

CountessMonteCristo: But you should if you want to!

Crow: Besides, being able to snoop as student council could be useful even if you can't do anything openly with it.

Queen: …

Crow: What? It is!

_prometheus_unbound changed Queen's name to QueenOfStudentCouncil_

QueenOfStudentCouncil: No.

_prometheus_unbound changed QueenOfStudentCouncil's name to NotQueenOfStudentCouncil_

NotQueenOfStudentCouncil: That's somehow worse.

_prometheus_unbound changed NotQueenOfStudentCouncil's name to QueenOfExams_

QueenOfExams: …

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.10** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

ShogiNinja: I can't believe I'm almost out of middle school and I never even tried to find out WHY Sato-sensei sees the school as a gladiatorial arena

CountessMonteCristo: ??????

ArtFox: You must have some idea, you guessed the distortion.

QueenOfExams: I beg your pardon?

ShogiNinja: No, I just guessed that because his announcements at the cultural festival assembly last year got very weird.

CountessMonteCristo: Hifumi's school has a Palace???

QueenOfExams: More surprising if it didn't, remember?

CountessMonteCristo: Right, fine, it has a Palace you've identified?

ArtFox: We visited in December. It was appalling, but not very dangerous.

ShogiNinja: And as far as I know Sato-sensei's not doing anything unusual so following up isn't really a priority, but it would still be nice to know WHY.

QueenOfExams: Well

QueenOfExams: How cutthroat is student competition?

ShogiNinja: …

ShogiNinja: Okay yeah that may have something to do with it

ShogiNinja: Well, just a few more days to go!

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.11** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

QueenOfExams: Sis was really tense this morning.

QueenOfExams: Does anyone have any ideas on how we might non-disruptively

QueenOfExams: Um

prometheus_unbound: snoop on the prosecutor office?

QueenOfExams: …Basically, yes.

Crow: Well, there's Maeda's Shadow, assuming it hasn't migrated deeper in the last few weeks.

CountessMonteCristo: We were leaving that alone to avoid… accidentally complicating things, right?

QueenOfExams: Yes, but… maybe just a few questions?

Crow: Shit, I just checked the app and Maeda's Shadow HAS migrated down.

CountessMonteCristo: We never did figure out if that was a bad sign or not…

QueenOfExams: It can't be good.

Crow: Who else could we ask… Do you know the names of any of the clerks or secretaries your sister works with?

ArtFox: Couldn't Futaba hack something?

prometheus_unbound: yeah if it were that easy to break into the special investigations units systems life wouldve been a lot simpler last time

prometheus_unbound: but ill see what they have in terms of publicly listed staff

prometheus_unbound: maybe we can find a clerk or secretary

QueenOfExams: I do have one secretary name — there's a woman called Sato who I'm supposed to call if something urgent comes up and Sis isn't answering.

ArtFox: Any related to Hifumi's gladiator-obsessed teacher?

QueenOfExams: I doubt it, but who knows. I don't know her full name, though, just a work phone number…

prometheus_unbound: i should be able to get a name off THAT

prometheus_unbound: i guess you guys are gonna do another shadow interrogation without me?

Crow: Not if she doesn't have one.

prometheus_unbound: riiiiiight ill check

prometheus_unbound: gimme the number

* * *

_**2015.03.11** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: "hana sato, sae niijima's secretary" has a shadow in aiyatsbus!

prometheus_unbound: and youre going to have to go without me again

prometheus_unbound: mom is being stubborn

prometheus_unbound: although i think my explanation of what the plan is broke sojiro or something

prometheus_unbound: hes staring into space occasionally repeating 'interrogate their subconscious'

ShogiNinja: I'm probably going to have to bow out too, sadly. School has some ceremonies for third-years the rest of the week my parents want to go to, so…

ShogiNinja: Does your school not have any, Yusuke?

ArtFox: …

ArtFox: Not that I would incur any consequences for skipping.

QueenOfExams: You really don't have to!

ArtFox: I would rather.

ArtFox: Hitoshi-senpai came last time. He was very enthusiastic and supportive and probably already planning

ArtFox: I'd rather skip.

prometheus_unbound: ow.

prometheus_unbound: hows he doing?

ArtFox: Mostly all right, I think?

ArtFox: I have to decide what I'm going to say to Kiyomi-senpai if she asks why I'm paying so much attention.

CountessMonteCristo: Can you just tell her you're worried?

ArtFox: She'll ask why.

ArtFox: I suppose I can blame bad dreams.

QueenOfExams: Can everyone who's coming make this evening?

CountessMonteCristo: Yes

ArtFox: Yes

Crow: If we're done before curfew.

CountessMonteCristo: Meet up at Mementos, then?

prometheus_unbound: uggghhhhh im so jealous

prometheus_unbound: inari can we do the museum again tomorrow?

prometheus_unbound: ive GOT to convince her we know what were doing

* * *

_**2015.03.11** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: To keep everyone up to speed—

CountessMonteCristo: We talked to the secretary's Shadow. Maeda has been charged and is as good as ruined, everyone is very shocked he's so corrupt, it's going well.

QueenOfExams: But Sis IS more stressed, because she got good attention for this but she also got put in charge of trying to follow up on all the Maeda-yakuza ties and it's high pressure.

prometheus_unbound: if anyone can do it she can

prometheus_unbound: whos up for the museum tomorrow? anyone?

QueenOfExams: Depends on whether Sis is going to be home at all… but probably.

ShogiNinja: Sadly no

Crow: Thanks, but no.

CountessMonteCristo: Sorry, Futaba.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.12** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: moms persona is even weirder than we thought

prometheus_unbound: in a way that might be really useful

ArtFox: Also potentially dangerous—

ArtFox: It turns out the reason Sensei was home earlier than he expected is he had a sudden dizzy spell at the gallery opening and walked into a wall.

prometheus_unbound: oh

prometheus_unbound: thats

prometheus_unbound: bad i guess?

prometheus_unbound: assuming its not a coincidence

ShogiNinja: Now I'm even sorrier I missed it.

QueenOfExams: I know I am not the Metaverse expert but it seems safest to assume that if he got disoriented at the same time we — for lack of a better description — knocked a hole in his Palace, it was not a coincidence.

CountessMonteCristo: Knocked a hole in his Palace???

prometheus_unbound: not quite how id describe it?

ArtFox: More of a tunnel, maybe?

prometheus_unbound: a space warp?

prometheus_unbound: it didnt leave a hole behind or anything it was just temporary

Crow: Will someone please explain what happened from the beginning?

prometheus_unbound: so wed noticed already that hypatia can apparently jump us between safe rooms without using the metanav

prometheus_unbound: its not automatic, its a spell, called "ellipse" of all things

prometheus_unbound: and not very useful since we have the nav but now shes learned a new spell called "hyperbola"

ShogiNinja: …

CountessMonteCristo: …

prometheus_unbound: and it like

prometheus_unbound: tunnels

prometheus_unbound: makes a wormhole?

prometheus_unbound: creates a temporary passage between non-adjacent palace parts

Crow: …Huh.

CountessMonteCristo: !

ArtFox: Exactly.

Crow: Does it require knowing where you're going?

prometheus_unbound: to some extent?

prometheus_unbound: but apparently 'on the other side of that security barrier' is good enough

ArtFox: It dropped us right into the control room.

ArtFox: The security Shadow was very surprised.

ShogiNinja: Did it go all right?

ShogiNinja: I mean fighting the Shadow? I assume you fought the Shadow.

ArtFox: Yes. And it went all right.

QueenOfExams: It resisted ice magic, but it didn't give me too much trouble.

prometheus_unbound: but anyway

prometheus_unbound: takeaway 1 — we dont have to worry about the barrier if we want to change madarames heart, or even just raid the rest of the museum for loot

ShogiNinja: Oooooooohhhhhh.

ArtFox: …

prometheus_unbound: takeaway 2 — we dont know for sure this would work to get past the mementos doors? but it might!

CountessMonteCristo: Probably a more promising avenue than riding on top of the trains, at least!

prometheus_unbound: takeaway 3 — is hypatia eventually going to have a spell called "parabola" and what will it do?

Crow: …

QueenOfExams: Takeaway Four — Madarame may have had a bad reaction to the spell being used and maybe we should look into that before trying to use it in "everyone's Palace".

prometheus_unbound: well yeah theres also that

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.13** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

ShogiNinja: One! More! Day!

prometheus_unbound: guys i could be wrong

prometheus_unbound: but i think hifumi is ready to be done with middle school

QueenOfExams: Understandable.

ArtFox: I told Kiyomi-senpai I was worried about Hitoshi-senpai and she agreed to keep an eye on him but doesn't think we need to be worried right now.

prometheus_unbound: good!

ArtFox: I also asked her to keep an eye out for signs that we might have accidentally damaged Sensei's brain with a magic painting thing.

prometheus_unbound: …

CountessMonteCristo: …

Crow: …

ShogiNinja: …

QueenOfExams: Well

_prometheus_unbound changed ArtFox's name to SelfPortraitAsAnInformationLeakAGAIN_

QueenOfExams: That IS something we need to know

prometheus_unbound: but STILL

QueenOfExams: Have you told your mother about the possible physical consequences?

prometheus_unbound: yeah

prometheus_unbound: shes concerned

prometheus_unbound: but STILL

_SelfPortraitAsAnInformationLeakAGAIN changed their name to ArtFox_

ArtFox: I don't understand why this is an issue. Kiyomi-senpai already knew about the Metaverse and about Sensei having a Palace and about our being active in that Palace.

ArtFox: I chose to mention this new concern because I thought she might be able to help.

ArtFox: Why is it an issue?

prometheus_unbound: ugh never mind

prometheus_unbound: HAS she seen any signs?

ArtFox: Not that she knows of so far.

ShogiNinja: What would that look like anyway???

ArtFox: …

prometheus_unbound: …

Crow: Rage fugues are immediate and drastic, but I guess an impact to the PALACE wouldn't work the same as an impact to the SHADOW… Still, though, if the effect on the Palace was a short-lasting warp I'd think the effects on him wouldn't last long either?

prometheus_unbound: yeah i think it makes the most sense that he just got disoriented while the hyperbola spell was active and got better afterwards

QueenOfExams: Better to be safe, though — and what would that look like in "everyone's Palace"?

QueenOfExams: Would everyone except people with their own Palace get disoriented?

QueenOfExams: What if Madarame had been driving?

Crow: Ugh, yeah, that.

Crow: I was REALLY lucky I didn't unknowingly cause any car accidents before I realized that was a danger.

CountessMonteCristo: …

Crow: I knowingly took a few calculated risks later, yes.

QueenOfExams: I'm not sure that's any better.

CountessMonteCristo: No, I see his point.

prometheus_unbound: …

ShogiNinja: Setting that aside, Mementos may house everyone's Shadows, but is it really everyone's Palace? I guess it depends on how you define 'Palace', but…

ShogiNinja: It's not individualized, at all? It doesn't seem like there's as much of a connection?

ArtFox: Futaba, does your mother remember any of the things her Shadow said about Mementos?

prometheus_unbound: she doesnt remember anything she wasnt awake for or anything from the shadows perspective so no

Crow: Wait, what?

prometheus_unbound: and believe me it is not possible for anyone to be more frustrated about that than she is

Crow: You talked to your mother's Shadow and it said things about Mementos?

prometheus_unbound: oh

prometheus_unbound: uh

prometheus_unbound: haru did you not tell them about the temple and all that?

CountessMonteCristo: …

QueenOfExams: …

Crow: …

CountessMonteCristo: I think I forgot.

QueenOfExams: … … …

CountessMonteCristo: Sorry?

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.14** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

QueenOfExams: Now that school is over and we have a few weeks relatively free

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: …

prometheus_unbound: ???

QueenOfExams: I was waiting for Hifumi to break in. I guess she's not online.

QueenOfExams: As I was saying, we really, really need to sit down and establish a… common base on knowledge to work from.

QueenOfExams: About the temple, and on our end I don't think we've explained about the laboratory?

QueenOfExams: And of course the previous timeline.

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: youre not wrong

prometheus_unbound: did haru still not explain the temple?

QueenOfExams: She explained what you'd told her, but it was somewhat lacking in detail.

prometheus_unbound: i guess i did kinda rush through it

prometheus_unbound: think we can all meet at harus again?

prometheus_unbound: i guess we should probably wait til shes online to invite ourselves over… oh there she is

prometheus_unbound: what do you think about meeting up at your place to compare all the notes?

CountessMonteCristo: Sounds like a good idea.

CountessMonteCristo: Are people available tomorrow? Maybe for a late lunch?

prometheus_unbound: as long as i promise not to go in the metaverse

QueenOfExams: Sis is here this evening but I'm going to be lucky to see her all next week, so fine for me.

Crow: I don't have any conflicts, but I'm going to say right now I will not be answering questions about why I went to Jikken to begin with.

ArtFox: ???

ArtFox: But that works for me, too.

prometheus_unbound: wonder where hifumi is

ShogiNinja: GOODBYE MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!

prometheus_unbound: ah there she is

prometheus_unbound: can you make a lunch meeting tomorrow?

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.15** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: everyone make it back home okay? no one got in trouble being late for dinner?

ShogiNinja: Barely, but no.

QueenOfExams: That would require Sis being here.

ArtFox: We haven't had dinner. I'm not sure whose turn it is to make dinner.

ArtFox: And if I ask they might say it's my turn to make dinner.

ShogiNinja: IS it your turn to make dinner?

ArtFox: I don't actually know what the turn system is.

prometheus_unbound: i think that means its probably your turn

ArtFox: Not if I don't ask about it

QueenOfExams: …

prometheus_unbound: moving on

prometheus_unbound: no one got their brain exploded from information overload?

ArtFox: I don't think that actually happens.

QueenOfExams: I'll type up my notes tonight.

QueenOfExams: I guess we could print everyone a copy?

prometheus_unbound: no, take a picture of the notes when youre done, send us all the picture, destroy the hardcopy

ArtFox: I would appreciate a hardcopy

prometheus_unbound: YOU would leave the hardcopy in the middle of your studio with all your painting stuff and your senpai would find out about the time travel as soon as one of them cracks and cleans up after you

ArtFox: …

ShogiNinja: Harsh

prometheus_unbound: anyway makoto is crow all right?

prometheus_unbound: he got really quiet towards the end there

prometheus_unbound: he knows we aren't holding Future Evil Him against him right?

Crow: I know that you can tell I'm online, Oracle.

Crow: And thanks, but I'm fine. Just thinking.

Crow: Partially about if there's anything I've seen that would explain how Ooe's Shadow got into Shido's Palace. Haven't come up with anything. And I'm wondering whether it was his idea or Shido's.

Crow: Obviously it wasn't either of their ideas consciously but

Crow: Ooe's loyal but did he actually WANT to be… subsumed like that.

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: That's a very ominous way of putting it.

Crow: I guess he was asking for it either way, but I'd still like to know.

prometheus_unbound: hmmmm not sure youre right but also not sure youre wrong

Crow: If you have names on any of the other people whose Shadows showed up there we might want to see what their current status is.

Crow: Though I guess there wouldn't be much point to it.

QueenOfExams: …

Crow: Besides that I have a lot of questions about what the conspiracy was doing in the Metaverse last timeline.

Crow: Other than the part with Future Evil Me, I mean.

prometheus_unbound: yeah

prometheus_unbound: it doesnt seem like theyd need to steal the research if Future Evil You was all they had going on

prometheus_unbound: but we never found out anything concrete

prometheus_unbound: it might have something to do with how weirdly apathetic everyone was getting towards the end? not us everyone, general public everyone

prometheus_unbound: but the holy grail thing seemed to be claiming responsibility for that, so…

prometheus_unbound: one of MANY unanswered questions

QueenOfExams: Well, at least I finally understand how Haru could call Tomioka "not a bad man" with a straight face.

QueenOfExams: That was bothering me.

prometheus_unbound: the fiance may have been better this time but i think overall the whole engagement thing actually worse

prometheus_unbound: because in the first timeline haru was older and not openly objecting and it wasnt some fucked up delinquency fix thing

QueenOfExams: You aren't going to get any argument from me.

Crow: …I'm a little surprised you aren't getting one from her, is she busy?

ShogiNinja: I still really don't understand the distinction between people who get Palaces and people who don't.

ShogiNinja: Why didn't Futaba's uncle have a Palace? Why doesn't Hamasaki?

ArtFox: Or your mother?

ShogiNinja: You shut up about my mother.

ShogiNinja: But that ASIDE, well… yes, actually?

ShogiNinja: She's MUCH better than Madarame, OBVIOUSLY, but I wouldn't try to argue she's better than Futaba's mother, or Futaba or Makoto's sister in the other timeline, from what you've said.

prometheus_unbound: its not being 'worse' its strength of the distortion

prometheus_unbound: the inside of my head was pretty damn distorted

ShogiNinja: That works for your case, but didn't your mother basically think she had critically important information which people would try to take and misuse?

ShogiNinja: Her reactions were off, but the understanding of the situation seems clear enough!

prometheus_unbound: hmmmmm

prometheus_unbound: youre not wrong

prometheus_unbound: inari you dont remember morgana saying anything more informative do you?

ArtFox: No

CountessMonteCristo: Kana-chan is here!

prometheus_unbound: there you are

prometheus_unbound: wait what?

prometheus_unbound: kanas there?

prometheus_unbound: what happened?

prometheus_unbound: is she okay?

prometheus_unbound: WHAT DID THEY DO

CountessMonteCristo: She's not injured

CountessMonteCristo: She hasn't said exactly what happened just that they want to move, and they wouldn't listen to her. She's upset.

CountessMonteCristo: She asked if she could stay 'a while'

CountessMonteCristo: I said yes, of course, but I'm not sure how long 'a while' is…

CountessMonteCristo: She brought a backpack, though.

prometheus_unbound: thats

prometheus_unbound: dammit i dont think theres any way i can get back there tonight without explaining to mom and sojiro

CountessMonteCristo: I know, I'm not saying you need to, I told her you'll be by tomorrow and got her a guest room

CountessMonteCristo: Just

CountessMonteCristo: Um

CountessMonteCristo: …I don't know where I was going with that, sorry.

QueenOfExams: Just this particular situation has suddenly become acute?

ShogiNinja: That's one way of putting it

prometheus_unbound: if she just tried to say no to them for the first time in a long while?

prometheus_unbound: people like that dont take that kind of thing well

ShogiNinja: Well, no one does, really.

ArtFox: …

ShogiNinja: Do Not

Crow: Did she say whether she ran out or snuck out? I would guess snuck out if she was able to pack.

Crow: But presumably they'll know she's gone by tomorrow morning at the latest

Crow: Do we have any clue about how they'll react then? Call the police? Try to avoid involving the police?

prometheus_unbound: no idea

prometheus_unbound: haru does your place have a landline i could call to talk to her? or if not could she borrow your phone?

CountessMonteCristo: Oh, I should have thought of that. Or she could call you? I'll go ask her, now that you're definitely available.

QueenOfExams: Is there anything the rest of us can do right now???

prometheus_unbound: ummmmm try to come up with arguments to convince mom to help us break into akzeriyyuth?

QueenOfExams: Any other background research? What are their names?

prometheus_unbound: uhhhhh kouta and asami magario

prometheus_unbound: ah this must be kana calling 

prometheus_unbound: back later

ArtFox: Can we really do anything with the names without the Mementos access?

QueenOfExams: Background research, like I said.

CountessMonteCristo: I'm sure none of us are up to Futaba's standards of internet snooping but it's still possible to find out a lot about people if you just look!

CountessMonteCristo: …Are you looking for anything in particular, Mako-chan?

QueenOfExams: Jobs, education, past brushes with the law…

ArtFox: …

QueenOfExams: The goal is to guess what their attitude towards the police is

QueenOfExams: And how police would react to them.

QueenOfExams: I know we'd all rather not involve the authorities but I'd like to know what to expect if it happens.

CountessMonteCristo: Good thinking.

CountessMonteCristo: Is there some part I can help with?

Crow: Probably what YOU need to do is decide what you're going to do if they show up or call looking for her.

CountessMonteCristo: …Is this just worst-case-scenario planning, or do you have reason to believe they left a tracking device in her backpack or something?

Crow: Contingency planning.

Crow: Though if they're controlling enough not to let her have a phone, who knows.

CountessMonteCristo: I definitely need to decide how I'm going to explain this to my father when he gets home. He won't try to overrule me but I have to tell him something.

CountessMonteCristo: Hmmmm.

CountessMonteCristo: And housekeeping will be in tomorrow. And the doorman obviously saw her arrive.

ShogiNinja: Can't you just be vague and say "problems at home"?

CountessMonteCristo: That should work for deflecting questions

CountessMonteCristo: But if I don't come up with some sort of explanation for why I know her well enough for this, the building staff is going to assume half-sibling.

ShogiNinja: …

CountessMonteCristo: As far as I know I don't have any half-siblings! But it came out last fall that it's

CountessMonteCristo: Not implausible. To my father.

ShogiNinja: Ow.

ArtFox: Wait, was that included in the recap?

QueenOfExams: I didn't think it was relevant.

CountessMonteCristo: And it's not common knowledge exactly but it has… spread. As these things do. The housekeeper talks to the doorman, who talks to the driver, who talks to the PA…

Crow: More precisely, the irregular scholarship has unsurprisingly led some people to believe I am a half-sibling.

CountessMonteCristo: Which you warned me about, yes, but the problem is that some non-rumor-obsessed people who believe the alternate explanation about you still know my father thought that was the obvious reason for a sudden intervention.

ArtFox: I don't know how we're supposed to be defining relevance if that's not relevant and Hitoshi-senpai and I trying to bake a cake is.

QueenOfExams: You may have a point.

QueenOfExams: If I've found the right Magarios they seem… underwhelming, in social clout?

QueenOfExams: I don't think they're the kind of people the police are likely to take any extra steps for.

Crow: That's something, anyway.

Crow: Haru, are they still talking?

CountessMonteCristo: Yes.

CountessMonteCristo: When the doorman called to say she was coming up he said 'your young friend' like he was NOT saying something else.

CountessMonteCristo: Goro, would it be all right if I implied to the housekeepers or the doorman that I know Kana-chan through you somehow?

Crow: How would I be supposed to know her in this scenario?

ArtFox: She could be YOUR half-sibling?

Crow: I don't think there's any way to explain KNOWING that.

QueenOfExams: Um

QueenOfExams: This is not me saying I think you SHOULD do this, but that's only true going by your actual real father. You could — theoretically — claim your mother said Kouta Magario was your biological father, and you had a chance to look him up, and while poking around discovered some disturbing things about the family.

Crow: …

QueenOfExams: I'm not saying you should! Just, that is possible. If you want to.

Crow: …

QueenOfExams: Which I'm guessing you don't.

Crow: …I'm not sure WHY I don't, it's not like the truth is any better.

CountessMonteCristo: For now I'll just be really vague.

CountessMonteCristo: Oh, Kana-chan's hanging up — I'm going to see if she wants anything to eat.

ShogiNinja: Should we be expecting an update from Futaba?

ArtFox: Hopefully…

prometheus_unbound: soooooo yeah i think this is about when they moved last time too

prometheus_unbound: not outside tokyo but far enough they want her to switch schools

prometheus_unbound: a new apartment with

prometheus_unbound: and they actually came out and said this like it was a good thing

prometheus_unbound: a room that would be a decent photography studio

QueenOfExams: …Ugh.

prometheus_unbound: yeah

prometheus_unbound: it gets ~better~!

prometheus_unbound: they gave her a ~present~!

prometheus_unbound: some kind of WEIRD HORSE COSTUME

ShogiNinja: Uh.

prometheus_unbound: EXACTLY.

prometheus_unbound: presented like it was something shed want

prometheus_unbound: so she said she didnt want a horse costume and she didnt want to move and change schools and she didnt want to do any more photoshoots

prometheus_unbound: and they yelled and shook her and said she was a rotten ungrateful child and would do as shes told and locked her in her room but theyre on the ground floor and and she climbed out the window

Crow: Does she know what she wants to do next?

prometheus_unbound: not go back until theyre sorry and change their minds

Crow: …well that's better than some alternatives.

prometheus_unbound: she doesnt want to go to the police but when i said i might be able to do something unorthodox to change their minds or at least not make her come back she didnt say no

ShogiNinja: I assume she'd assume you meant hacking and blackmail?

prometheus_unbound: uhhhhhhh probably

prometheus_unbound: maybe?

prometheus_unbound: anyway i think shes going to agree

Crow: I vote for a rage fugue.

QueenOfExams: Um

QueenOfExams: Isn't it a little premature to vote for anything?

QueenOfExams: Getting to them in Mementos requires opening the doors, and unless medjed "doxxes" a million more gamers, we most likely need Hypatia to punch through them, assuming that ability works on the Mementos doors, which we haven't tested.

QueenOfExams: Assuming it does, we need to get Wakaba-san to AGREE to pushing hard through Mementos to reach a target, and to doing… whatever we end up doing. 

QueenOfExams: Or I suppose theoretically we could lie about that part but I think that would be a bad idea. 

QueenOfExams: And assuming she agrees to all that, we will probably have to tell her who the target is, and I assume she will want to know why we are targeting your friend's parents, which will lead to telling her things Kana-san didn't want shared with adults.

QueenOfExams: Not to mention it would be difficult to do a push through Mementos without EVERYONE THERE, and therefore everyone meeting Wakaba-san.

prometheus_unbound: okay first of all makoto please dont say doxxes again it sounds really weird coming from you

prometheus_unbound: second of all

prometheus_unbound: those are some good points

prometheus_unbound: arrrrggggghhhhh

Crow: Track run?

QueenOfExams: Don't start


	4. 3/16-3/20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost just pushed right on through to the end, because we are getting close, but there's quite a lot here, so. Here we are.
> 
> _Edit 2/7/2021: Made some changes for the Retcondo_

_**2015.03.16** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

QueenOfExams: All right, I've been thinking about this.

QueenOfExams: Everything else is a moot point if Wakaba-san's Persona can't break through the Mementos doors.

QueenOfExams: It would be best to test that before going further.

QueenOfExams: Which requires convincing her, but before that even:

QueenOfExams: Can the non-adult-phobic portion of the team alone go safely from the Aiyatsbus rest stop to the doors and back? Keeping in mind Wakaba-san is still fairly new and is still convalescing to some degree?

QueenOfExams: Thoughts?

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: I'm thinking TENTATIVELY yes?

QueenOfExams: Mementos has its unique dangers, but I believe the Shadows in Aiyatsbus are relatively weak?

QueenOfExams: Unless a navigator would like to correct me.

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: So the main issue would be having to keep moving. I'm not sure whether that's a problem?

QueenOfExams: For those who haven't been there, in the museum we've mostly been moving slowly and stopping a lot, but that might just be in order to make observations.

QueenOfExams: If the physical activity IS a problem at this point in Wakaba-san's recovery, possibly we could rent a wheelchair???

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: I'm not sure where to rent a wheelchair.

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: I've looked up where to rent a wheelchair.

QueenOfExams: The cost isn't outrageous but we would have to get it to Mementos somehow.

QueenOfExams: And be sure not to damage it.

QueenOfExams: But really, what does everyone think about this?

Crow: I think it is BARELY seven in the morning

Crow: On a vacation day

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: Right.

Crow: Are you awake already or awake still?

QueenOfExams: Awake already.

QueenOfExams: I think I must have woken up when Sis's alarm went off.

QueenOfExams: Did the phone notifications wake you?

Crow: Yes, but I'll live.

QueenOfExams: Sorry.

QueenOfExams: Since you're awake now, what DO you think?

Crow: I think it sounds plausible to me but it's not my call.

Crow: Also it's not a phobia it's a reasonable aversion.

QueenOfExams: …

* * *

prometheus_unbound: haru what time can i come over to talk to kana?

CountessMonteCristo: Um, maybe as soon as 11:00 or so?

CountessMonteCristo: I think she's asleep at the moment.

prometheus_unbound: ok great i will see you then

QueenOfExams: Did you see my idea? What's your opinion?

prometheus_unbound: uh hang on

prometheus_unbound: hmmm

prometheus_unbound: i think youre right and that would be safe?

prometheus_unbound: or safe enough

prometheus_unbound: and good idea about the wheelchair

QueenOfExams: Thank you.

prometheus_unbound: think you can figure out how to convince my mom to go for it?

QueenOfExams: Um. I can try?

QueenOfExams: With or without your explaining the Kana situation first?

prometheus_unbound: aaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhh

QueenOfExams: Speaking of explanations, how did it go with your father, Haru?

CountessMonteCristo: He said my friend could stay as long as she needed, and to let me know if he could help, and then there was this extremely awkward exchange where he was trying to avoid saying he was fairly sure he wasn't Kana's father without anyone having brought the possibility up, but still wanted to convey that information.

CountessMonteCristo: I think he may be about to discover a really intensive work project. Just to avoid the issue.

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: I think Futaba is trying to convince Kana-chan to let her explain things to Wakaba-san?

CountessMonteCristo: But she's not willing to say that telling Wakaba-san will definitely produce the desired result, since… we still aren't sure about that.

CountessMonteCristo: So Kana-chan is dubious.

QueenOfExams: It really would be best if we could test 'hyperbola' in Mementos without explaining anything.

QueenOfExams: But I'm not sure how to convince Wakaba-san to do it.

ShogiNinja: Say if she doesn't we'll let Goro do another track run?

CountessMonteCristo: NO.

ShogiNinja: Not even as a bluff?

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: Maybe.

QueenOfExams: I'm not sure how good a tactic that is long-term…

ArtFox: Can I ask Kiyomi-senpai's opinion without everyone throwing another fit about information leaks?

CountessMonteCristo: Yes, I think that should be all right.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: As long as you're reasonably confident she won't respond by suddenly realizing this is dangerous and she should stop you

ArtFox: She won't.

ArtFox: She'll say something is a bad idea but unless it impacts other people she never really tries to stop me

ArtFox: She always says she's not my mother

ArtFox: …

ArtFox: Which probably means she won't have much advice about convincing an actual mother not to protest

ArtFox: So never mind

QueenOfExams: We could try asking her what exactly her objections are and go from there? Because we haven't talked about it.

CountessMonteCristo: …

QueenOfExams: I know, I know, I know

Crow: I'm not sure you do.

QueenOfExams: All right, I probably don't.

QueenOfExams: But unless we actually try to use the track run threat as leverage I'm not sure what else we should do next.

CountessMonteCristo: Do NOT say an actual track run.

Crow: …

ShogiNinja: Not everyone would have to be there to just ask what her concerns are, right? So it wouldn't really be a risk.

ShogiNinja: We could pose some hypothetical situations that might require intervention.

ShogiNinja: Maybe invent a fake person who's in something like Kana-san's situation, to feel her out about that without giving Kana-san away?

Crow: You'd have to leave out the running away part.

Crow: But that wouldn't NECESSARILY be a disaster.

ArtFox: Assuming Futaba agrees to this.

QueenOfExams: Can you go ask them now? About making up a fake person to discuss things?

CountessMonteCristo: That might be a good idea…

ShogiNinja: Some imaginary person who went to my or Yusuke's middle school, maybe?

Crow: Say it's a kid with one parent overseas, the other in jail on a drug offense, staying with some sort of distant cousin.

Crow: The kid may or may not also have been using drugs and was never charged with anything but the cops assumed they were and treated them like shit after the one parent was arrested, so the kid doesn't trust the cops and the cops are prejudiced against the kid.

Crow: Custodial cousin now wants the kid to be his drug supplier and keeps calling the kid a prostitute, whether or not he wants sexual favors still unclear.

ShogiNinja: That's

ShogiNinja: Um

QueenOfExams: Very detailed?

CountessMonteCristo: …

Crow: …Custodial cousin got arrested for trashing a food kiosk last month and is hopefully no longer custodial but I haven't followed up on it to make sure.

ShogiNinja: Oh

CountessMonteCristo: I'll ask them.

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: Tentative yes from both of them. Makoto, Futaba will call you to discuss it more.

QueenOfExams: Great.

ShogiNinja: I just hope it works.

QueenOfExams: Let me put it this way, I definitely wasn't coming up with any ways to get rid of whatever her reservations are WITHOUT discussing them.

* * *

Crow: So Makoto and Oracle are talking to Isshiki-san now?

CountessMonteCristo: Right

CountessMonteCristo: Probably also Sojiro-san, I'm not sure they could avoid that.

Crow: Fine.

Crow: Or as fine as possible, anyway.

Crow: Do we have any idea what the Magarios are doing about Kana-san being missing?

Crow: It's… theoretically possible they haven't realized she's gone yet but that seems unlikely.

ShogiNinja: Reporting her missing would be the first thing, right? I mean, that's what my mother would do if I was suddenly not there in the morning.

ShogiNinja: She'd probably assume I'd been kidnapped

CountessMonteCristo: Same.

CountessMonteCristo: Or, hopefully someone would at least try to call me first.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: Actually depending on the day it might take a while for people to realize I was missing. So not same.

ArtFox: If it wasn't a school day I don't think anyone here would worry until lunch at the earliest

ArtFox: And then they would start with looking around to see if I went for a walk and got distracted

ShogiNinja: That sounds like experience speaking

ArtFox: …

ArtFox: Possibly.

Crow: And even if I was gone twenty-hour hours I would be assumed to just be out getting into trouble somewhere and they'd hold off on doing anything to punish me when I came back

Crow: I assume Kana-san's parents are somewhere in the middle of all that but I'm not sure where

Crow: Especially since I'd assume what evidence there is indicates she ran away, since she basically did

ShogiNinja: Another normal thing to do would be calling her friends' parents

ShogiNinja: Do they know Futaba is her friend?

CountessMonteCristo: I'll ask her

CountessMonteCristo: Unless we think I shouldn't ask her?

CountessMonteCristo: I'm going to ask her

ArtFox: Do we really think there's much risk of them contacting the police?

ArtFox: Considering?

Crow: I don't think it would be smart for them to contact the police if they can avoid it, but that doesn't mean they won't

CountessMonteCristo: There's a point after which it would be more suspicious to avoid it, I think.

CountessMonteCristo: Kana-chan says she hasn't mentioned Futaba's name at all, but they may have picked up she had a friend at school, and neither of them had many other friends so they could find out who she was fairly quickly if they asked someone from the school

CountessMonteCristo: She doesn't know about any such person they might ask, with school not in session, but isn't certain there isn't one out there somewhere

CountessMonteCristo: I didn't want to ask if she thought they would call the police because that might scare her into going back if she hasn't thought of it

Crow: Good thinking

Crow: There has to be some way to spy on them

ArtFox: What would happen if they never do anything?

ArtFox: Just act like she never existed?

Crow: Um

Crow: Hmmmm

ShogiNinja: She could have trouble with school paperwork when it starts up again, right?

Crow: Yes, and other things

Crow: Even if they were willing to just forget about it I don't think we could be

Crow: Too much of a risk for the future

CountessMonteCristo: If we can't get to them in the Metaverse we'll have to see if we can come up with something real-world

CountessMonteCristo: They gave her a weird rubber horse costume, there has to be something!

ShogiNinja: …um.

Crow: Is there something she'd be willing to talk about, is the problem.

Crow: Although that might be more likely if we could offer a concrete long-term alternative.

ArtFox: Staying with Haru seems to have worked out fine so far.

CountessMonteCristo: She's been here A DAY

CountessMonteCristo: Yes it's fine but that's not evidence for long-term suitability.

CountessMonteCristo: And I still haven't dealt with indicating to the staff she's not a half-sibling…

ArtFox: It seems like it might simplify things if we let people assume that?

CountessMonteCristo: …

QueenOfExams: Yes, but we wouldn't want to have guardianship assigned under any kind of false pretenses.

CountessMonteCristo: Are you done? How did it go?

QueenOfExams: Mostly pretty well, I think?

prometheus_unbound: except she somehow figured out we were talking around kana

prometheus_unbound: i have no idea how!

prometheus_unbound: not a disaster, she promised not to call the police since things are stable and she definitely wont call the magarios, but she was NOT supposed to find that out straight off!

QueenOfExams: It turns out she wasn't only objecting to the whole… dangerous teenage vigilantes thing, which was my initial thought. She DOES object to that, but not only that.

QueenOfExams: She has concerns about the ethics of changes of heart.

QueenOfExams: I think she sees them as, hmmm…

QueenOfExams: Effective if aimed correctly, justifiable if other methods aren't possible, but in and of themselves a bad thing.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: More or less like we see the psychotic breakdowns.

Crow: Rage fugues.

QueenOfExams: That's what I was going for, yes.

prometheus_unbound: anyway she agreed it wouldnt be fair for her to ask us to stop using our most effective tools

prometheus_unbound: and agreed to at least explore getting the mementos doors open with hyperbola

prometheus_unbound: although sojiro wants that to be conditional on finding a way not to be really obvious about disappearing out of shibuya station

prometheus_unbound: in case Theyre watching

ShogiNinja: That's wonderful!

QueenOfExams: So the non-adult-phobic part of the team will try that as soon as we can arrange it.

QueenOfExams: And if it works…

CountessMonteCristo: If it works… I guess we try to push through to, what was it?

prometheus_unbound: akzeriyyuth

prometheus_unbound: we have to get all the way through chemdah and kaitul to get there

prometheus_unbound: and if were doing that in a hurry i think we need everyone there

CountessMonteCristo: You're right, we do.

Crow: I'll do it. For Kana-san's sake.

Crow: But I'd still prefer to not have detailed introductions.

QueenOfExams: That seems like a good compromise.

prometheus_unbound: i think theyll respect that

CountessMonteCristo: Excellent!

CountessMonteCristo: Now does anyone have any good ideas on explaining Kana-chan to the housekeeping staff and/or doorman?

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.18** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: mom wants to know if we know of anyone with a shadow in mementos we could keep an eye on in the real world to see if hyperbola has side effects

prometheus_unbound: we being haru and crow and sojiro since the rest of us will be in mementos at the time

QueenOfExams: Well, there's Sae, but I don't think even I could count on monitoring her, much less any of the rest of you.

ShogiNinja: Depending on the time of day I might be able to watch my mother, but I don't think any of the rest of you could.

Crow: The Okumura driver has a Shadow, Haru might be able to watch him.

CountessMonteCristo: I suppose I could probably come up with some long car trip?

Crow: No, wait, I have a better idea.

Crow: I haven't run the names of everyone in the group home through the app, but I'd be shocked if there aren't a bunch of hits. I probably can't watch any one of them all day, but one or another of them, probably.

prometheus_unbound: thats perfect

QueenOfExams: Or if you could also keep an eye on some who DON'T have Shadows in Mementos at the same time, that would be even better!

Crow: …I'll see what I can do.

ArtFox: Does this mean Sojiro-san has come up with a satisfactory strategy for Shibuya?

prometheus_unbound: i think mostly hes worried mom might be followed

prometheus_unbound: theyre doing some day trips around the city now to see if anything seems to be going on in that direction

prometheus_unbound: and see whether mom needs a wheelchair like makoto was thinking

prometheus_unbound: if there arent any tails then sojiro thinks we should be fine as long as we arrive and leave mostly separately

prometheus_unbound: the last MOM knew the cognitive psience research hadnt turned up anything about shibuya station in particular so it PROBABLY shouldnt be an elevated risk to be there

prometheus_unbound: if there arent any tails do people think they could make tomorrow morning?

ArtFox: What time tomorrow morning?

prometheus_unbound: dont worry normal time not makoto time

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.19** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: ok we made it w/out tails and are about to enter mementos

QueenOfExams: Hifumi, Yusuke, and I are right behind you, with a wheelchair!

CountessMonteCristo: All of you take care!

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: This is a lot more nerve-wracking than just sitting out the museum trips.

Crow: Aiyatsbus safe zone to the doors isn't too bad a trip.

Crow: They'll be fine.

CountessMonteCristo: I know.

CountessMonteCristo: It's probably just that they're actually trying to accomplish something.

CountessMonteCristo: How long will it be before they try the doors? Do you have your observation subject in sight?

Crow: Subjects, and yes. I'm not sure about timing because I'm not sure how fast they'll be going through Aiyatsbus, so I'll probably be watching them as long as possible.

Crow: The weather's lousy enough there's a chance they'll all be hanging around here all day, but one of them never goes anywhere and another is one of the supervisors so he'll be here.

CountessMonteCristo: I'm sorry to hear that.

Crow: ???

CountessMonteCristo: The supervisor having a Shadow. Although I guess at least it's not a Palace.

Crow: Yes.

Crow: He's not too bad.

Crow: Well, he's terrible at his job, but he's not too bad to deal with as long as you're not relying on him for anything.

CountessMonteCristo: One of THOSE.

CountessMonteCristo: I hate having to hope for those.

Crow: How's Kana-san?

CountessMonteCristo: Holding up all right I think. She's watching TV in the secret headquarters.

CountessMonteCristo: I am really not sure why my father thought a "home entertainment center" was a good idea to begin with.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: I'm afraid we're going to end up telling Kana-chan about the Metaverse somehow.

CountessMonteCristo: Even if it never slips out accidentally, we're trying to help her using the Metaverse, all of us only know Futaba because of the Metaverse, and she's staying here, where we sometimes have secret meetings about the Metaverse.

CountessMonteCristo: I want to limit the spread of information as much as possible, but…

Crow: Hmmmm.

Crow: When you put it that way…

CountessMonteCristo: I need to talk to Futaba about it.

CountessMonteCristo: And I still need some explanation for why Kana-chan is HERE…

CountessMonteCristo: No one's asked me anything but I'm sure people are wondering. And speculating.

Crow: 'People' being the staff?

CountessMonteCristo: Mainly the staff, but also my father's PA is coming by at some point to collect some papers my father forgot.

Crow: Just tell her to lie low in the "entertainment center" until they're gone?

CountessMonteCristo: I can't do that!

CountessMonteCristo: I want her to be able to feel safe here!

Crow: A false sense of security won't do her any favors

CountessMonteCristo: It's not false. She doesn't have to hide here to be safe, and I'm not going to tell her to hide to avoid awkward questions, like she's something to be ashamed of.

Crow: …

Crow: Okay you have a point.

Crow: But I'd still argue that place isn't completely safe even for you.

CountessMonteCristo: Is there anywhere you think is?

Crow: …Not really.

CountessMonteCristo: So safe enough.

CountessMonteCristo: How bad an idea do you think it would be to get Kana and have the driver take us somewhere so I can watch him in the car?

Crow: …

CountessMonteCristo: That bad?

Crow: Well, I don't know.

Crow: Makoto apparently got convinced we don't have to worry about massive chaos and destruction.

Crow: So probably it's fine.

CountessMonteCristo: Hmmm.

CountessMonteCristo: There isn't really anything we need to go get, and Kana-chan doesn't seem to be feeling cooped up yet, so maybe not.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: I wish we had some way of knowing whether her parents have reported her missing.

Crow: Well

Crow: Hang on

CountessMonteCristo: ???

CountessMonteCristo: Is something happening?

Crow: No, false alarm.

Crow: Two of my observation targets jumped up at the same time, but it was because they both saw something before anyone else in the room did.

CountessMonteCristo: Oh. Too bad.

CountessMonteCristo: No, wait. Good.

* * *

prometheus_unbound: SUCCESS!

CountessMonteCristo: Good.

prometheus_unbound: AND hypatias weird snapshot thing is really good for figuring out which way to go in mementos

prometheus_unbound: we didnt have to retrace our steps ONCE

Crow: That's almost more impressive than jumping past the doors.

prometheus_unbound: i know right?

prometheus_unbound: any bad side effects noticed?

Crow: Nothing both consistent among the subjects and absent in the controls.

prometheus_unbound: whew

prometheus_unbound: sojiro didnt notice any widespread weirdness either

prometheus_unbound: moms going to do a little more checking, but she is tentatively on board with 'push down to akzeriyyuth and beat up kanas parents shadows'

prometheus_unbound: hopefully i can sell her on a change of heart by the time we get there

prometheus_unbound: or talking to their shadows might do it

prometheus_unbound: or im not sure whether a psychotic breakdown would be a harder or an easier sell

Crow: Rage fugue

Crow: I would think easier

prometheus_unbound: of course you would

_prometheus_unbound changed Crow's name to RageFugues_

RageFugues: …

CountessMonteCristo: Futaba…

prometheus_unbound: sorry, sorry

RageFugues: I don't know, will this make you all stop calling them psychotic when they are clearly not?

_RageFugues changed their name to Fuguetive_

Fuguetive: I do think easier. They wear off.

prometheus_unbound: yeah but she would want some kind of explanation about how they work

prometheus_unbound: you willing to do that?

Fuguetive: …

Fuguetive: Let's worry about getting down there first

QueenOfExams: What sort of additional checking is Wakaba-san doing?

QueenOfExams: Is it anything we can help with?

prometheus_unbound: ummm not sure hang on

prometheus_unbound: consulting sources looking for any unusual spikes in accidents or emergency calls

CountessMonteCristo: "Sources"?

prometheus_unbound: mom wont tell me whos illegally giving her emergency response data

prometheus_unbound: which i think should at least put us in a good position in terms of not telling her your or crows real names

QueenOfExams: I see.

CountessMonteCristo: I'll have to see about visiting the airsoft shop tomorrow or the next day, then.

ArtFox: Would it be much additional trouble for you to take over our weapon shopping, too?

ArtFox: I'm not very good at it.

ArtFox: And I already have to do the remedy shopping.

CountessMonteCristo: Should be doable.

CountessMonteCristo: My next vegetable crop isn't quite ready, but I think we should be okay without it through Chemdah at least?

Fuguetive: Wait, where are you buying remedies? Are they any good?

Fuguetive: Do they have Recov-R and Nohar-M?

ArtFox: The Takemi clinic in Yongen-Jaya, and yes, but you have to convince her you need them.

prometheus_unbound: i didnt know you could get those anywhere else

Fuguetive: Well, not anymore

prometheus_unbound: …

ShogiNinja: …

ArtFox: …

QueenOfExams: …

Fuguetive: Moving on from that, with all of us in Mementos, is Kana-san going to be all right by herself in Haru's house all day?

prometheus_unbound: shit youre right

Fuguetive: Or NOT by herself, is more of the problem.

CountessMonteCristo: Drat. Yes. She hasn't wanted to talk to anyone. My father probably won't be here, but housekeeping will be, and I can't guarantee nothing will come up…

CountessMonteCristo: I mean, it would be fine. She wouldn't even have to interact with anyone if she didn't want to. I'm just not sure she'd be comfortable with it.

prometheus_unbound: yyyyyyyyyeah

Fuguetive: She could stay out in public but we still don't know how much anyone is looking for her.

prometheus_unbound: she might be okay with staying in sojiros house, especially since sojiro will probably be biting his nails in shibuya the whole time, but if they do try to follow up on her school friends thats the first place theyd look

prometheus_unbound: inari, what about your senpai? could she hide out with them while were busy?

ArtFox: I will have to ask them.

ArtFox: Am I allowed to ask without people changing my screenname?

prometheus_unbound: INARI

CountessMonteCristo: Just don't tell them any of the details of her situation. Just say she needs a place to stay during the day and isn't comfortable staying in my house with only adults she doesn't know at all.

prometheus_unbound: ask her to call me? we should talk about this

ArtFox: Sensei will be away this weekend and my senpai will probably be mostly around, so that should work. After Sunday evening Sensei will be back, and I don't think Kana-san would like to run into him, but Kiyomi-senpai is expecting to spend a lot of time working so if she wanted she could hole up in there with her.

ArtFox: All this is according to Hitoshi-senpai, he hasn't asked Kiyomi-senpai.

ArtFox: He says she'll agree.

CountessMonteCristo: You don't think so?

ArtFox: I bow to his expertise but think he's glossing over how cranky she will be.

QueenOfExams: Maybe you should ask HER.

prometheus_unbound: shell probably start complaining about losing control of her life again

prometheus_unbound: kanas willing to try visiting the atelier this weekend

CountessMonteCristo: Really wondering where we're all going to be, though.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.20** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: they still haven't found any issues

prometheus_unbound: everyone up for trying to get to the chemdah stopping point tomorrow?

CountessMonteCristo: I'll drop Kana off at the atelier at about 8:00-9:00?

ArtFox: …I'll make sure Kiyomi-senpai is setting her alarm.


	5. Interlude: Hypatia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And contrary to my expectations, a non-chat chapter... I'm HOPING the next chapter will be the last one, but I'm not setting the chapter count just yet.
> 
> Oh, and go check out [spectralreplica's art of the new phantom thieves](https://spectralreplica.tumblr.com/post/622392180893417472/the-new-phantom-thieves-from-ceescedasticitys)! It's awesome!

Wakaba was _never_ going to get used to accessing cognitive space — the Metaverse — with a _phone app_. It did not make sense.

(Accessing it using the rift generator in the lab had been bad enough. Yes, it had supposedly been thoroughly tested, and Wakaba herself had programmed in failsafes in the power supply to shut it down if it ever started using more energy than was necessary for a _strictly_ local distortion — but it was based on tech that almost took out a city.)

(…Or, actually, tech that some experimenters almost took out a city with, and wasn't that just the problem.)

(Sometimes she wondered if she would have pursued cognitive psience if she'd realized how very un-theoretical it could get.)

(But the point remained, Metaverse access from a phone app did not make sense, and further investigation had only led to the unavoidable conclusion that it _wasn't_ a phone app, not really, but neither she nor Futaba were ready to say what it was. Futaba had elected not to mention it to the others. Sadly, investigating the source and purpose of a suspicious not-actually-a-phone-app was rather far down their to-do list, since they could at least be confident it had nothing to do with Project Styx.)

(Honestly the _magic painting_ made more sense.)

She probably _was_ going to get used to the way Mementos felt just that little bit more _wrong_ than the museum, and yet simultaneously less… less… she'd find the words. Hopefully before she got used to it.

She'd come early with Futaba, Wakaba wanting to take some readings (the sensors were all piled in the hopefully-unnecessary wheelchair, with the tire iron and box of mockotovs), but they still weren't the first to arrive — there was a black silhouette sitting cross-legged on the floor as Mementos solidified around them, though she quickly bounced to her feet. "Oracle, Archive, good morning."

"Shade?" Futaba said, surprised. "What are you doing here already?"

"I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to hang around the station for a long time, in the real world," Shade said. "For… conspiracy reasons?"

"No, I think that's probably fine?" Futaba said, and looked at Wakaba for confirmation.

"It should be," Wakaba agreed. "We don't think they know there's anything special about the location. Why?"

Shade was Hifumi Togo — a year older than Futaba and not a time traveler, so _not even in high school quite yet_. Wakaba felt reasonably well-acquainted with her and her Persona from the museum Palace excursions, on top of their brief meeting in _Wakaba's_ Palace, and Futaba's somewhat disjointed account of the events since regaining her memory and more disjointed account of their interactions with Hifumi in the future. Hifumi liked shogi, science fiction books, and pointing out aspects of the museum that made Madarame look particularly bad, because—

"Apparently I can't be in the house without fighting with my mother this morning," Hifumi said, clearly trying for light but not really succeeding. "I thought she'd accepted the argument that I was focusing on high school for now, but apparently not."

"Oh," Futaba said. "Ugh. Well… hanging around the station is fine, probably. But since you're here, want to help us with these sensors?"

Evidently they were not discussing the Togo household at this time. Wakaba refrained from pushing.

(For the moment.)

It took _extensive_ modification to get any kind of audiovisual recording working in the Metaverse, and Wakaba was still trying to recreate what the lab had managed. But the barometer, Geiger counter, and accelerometer all operated, sort of, and observations could be recorded manually. Barometric readings were just slightly higher than you'd expect for Tokyo's elevation, but lower than either of the Palaces she'd gotten measurements from. The accelerometer thought they were in free fall — in the Palaces the gravitational offset had been lower than it should have been. The Geiger counter reported negligible radiation, but who knew what that meant. Wakaba wanted to set up a seismograph — she'd gotten some interesting readings in the Palaces and wanted to compare — but that would have to wait until they weren't on a mission.

They were just packing the equipment away when reality rippled, and they were joined by both Queen — Makoto Niijima, two years older than Futaba, might or might not have time-traveled but definitely didn't remember it — and Fox — Yusuke Kitagawa, one year older than Futaba but definitely time-traveled. She knew Yusuke the best, of Futaba's new friends. He'd been in the temple, been present for every museum Palace excursion, she'd met his senpai, and as far as she could tell he wasn't trying to withhold any significant information about his background or home life from her, so he was more forthcoming than some of the others.

He _was_ withholding information about the now-defunct future, but Wakaba was fairly sure that was mostly at Futaba's instigation.

(There were a lot of odd holes in Futaba's account of the future. Wakaba was grimly sure that at least one of them involved Yoji Isshiki. Futaba still hadn't admitted any involvement in his convenient change of… attitude, and had attempted to give the impression she ended up staying with Yusuke and his senpai rather than her uncle primarily for their benefit. Sojiro had been more informative. Kiyomi Hirota, when Wakaba called her, had been more informative yet, describing Yoji as "brutally verbally abusive" and Futaba as "terrified of him".)

(It sounded like Yoji had made an ass of himself from the minute he showed up in the hospital — but Futaba didn't terrify fast.)

(The math was very simple, really.)

"Great, Inari's on time," Futaba said. "Do you know if…?"

"According to the group chat they're both in Shibuya Station already," Makoto said. "They should be along any— There they are."

And here was the _interesting_ part.

Once Wakaba was out of the hospital and safely in Sojiro's house where they could speak freely, Futaba had told them about Yusuke and Hifumi and Makoto, and told them that she'd agreed _not_ to tell them much about the last two.

Noir — two years older than Futaba, a classmate of Makoto's, and definite time traveler. And Crow — two years older than Futaba, a classmate of Makoto's though he hadn't been in the original timeline, and definitely not a time traveler. Both, Futaba had explained back in February, would probably more happily trust a Shadow than an adult, so it was only to be expected that they did not join any of the experimental trips to the museum Palace while Wakaba was there.

Noir reportedly had a rich and powerful father who'd been awful to her and awful to his employees — Noir would say the employees had it worse but in _Futaba's_ opinion it was debatable — and in the original timeline he'd gotten involved in Shido's conspiracy and ultimately gotten murdered over it. Noir, Crow, and Makoto had prevented this, this time, with a "change of heart" before he could get involved.

(Wakaba had asked Makoto, as casually as possible, if Noir was satisfied with the effects of the cognitive interference. Makoto had said Noir was very happy not to have her father involved with Shido or dead, and everyone was happy Noir's father wasn't trying to make her marry anybody, from which Wakaba concluded there _were_ undesirable side effects but the kids had decided the upsides were worth it.)

Noir, according to Futaba, didn't have any problem believing that Wakaba and Sojiro wouldn't hurt them, were on their side against Shido. She just, according to Futaba, had trouble accepting that adults could be useful in the Metaverse.

When the subject had come up again during a museum trip, Hifumi had remarked that _she_ thought Noir was finally in a position where there weren't any adults casually rearranging her life, and she didn't want to jeopardize that, before Makoto gave her a pointed look and she shut up.

Wakaba had a guess which answer was closer to the truth.

Crow was a different situation entirely. Futaba had, as per agreement, not revealed his name or any information that would reveal his identity — but that didn't exclude revealing his actions in the future timeline: he'd pretended to join them, then betrayed them, then died, and he'd been the cognitive assassin "Black Mask".

(Which meant in the original-timeline Shido had sent a _first-year high school student_ to kill her, which was… she didn't have the words for that. Shido was odious. Not to absolve "Black Mask" of all responsibility, but — _first-year high school student_.)

"He's not working for Shido this time, because Noir found him first," Futaba had said finally. "He's a part of the team. Noir and Makoto know basically what's going on with him — he listens to them — and I trust their judgment. And really I don't have any more justification for being nervous than Noir, and she brought him along to fight her dad's Shadow when he murdered her dad by killing his Shadow last time. It's just… hard."

She'd softened on him a fair amount since then. Wakaba hadn't understood why — it seemed faster than familiarity alone would account for — until the Kana situation came out, and then it made sense that Crow having a lot to say about social services and holding strong opinions on adults who exploited children would make Futaba better disposed towards him.

(Speaking of things she didn't have words for.) (Futaba had been reticent in large part out of respect for Kana's wishes — but might she have said something, last year, if Wakaba hadn't been so very preoccupied with work?)

"Hello, Archive," Noir said politely.

"Noir, Crow, pleased to meet you," Wakaba replied.

"The same," Noir said.

"Looking forward to seeing 'hyperbola' in action," said Crow, which was probably even true.

After an awkward pause, Futaba said "Well—" just as Noir said "Shall we—" They both broke off, then after a moment both started again: "I think—" "We should—"

"Let's go," said Makoto.

They used the navigation app to fast-travel to the Aiyatsbus safe zone. Hypatia stirred, as usual, a whisper of _we could do that_ in the back of her head. (Honestly Wakaba would have rather trusted _ellipse_ than the _suspicious not-actually-a-phone-app_ , but even if that was a discussion she'd wanted to start, _ellipse_ consumed magic she didn't necessarily have to spare.)

"Okay!" Futaba said. "Now Archive's going to have her Persona map the area, so we know exactly which way we need to go… except we need to get out of the rest area to the next floor first."

Because, unlike other Palaces, Mementos _changed_ whenever you turned your back, so prior experience didn't help. Which _made sense_ , but… Wakaba was very glad to have a workaround, even one that only worked on a floor at a time.

They jogged to the escalators — Yusuke and Makoto wrangling the cargo wheelchair again — and descended. At the bottom, Wakaba intoned, "Hear me, Hypatia," and called for a map. The twisty, dead-end-filled layout of the floor was projected in the air, with a mark for where they stood and another for the way down to the _next_ floor.

"That is… _very_ useful," Crow said slowly.

"Isn't it?" Futaba said. "But it doesn't show Shadows, so watch me for cues. There shouldn't be anything tricky here as long as we keep moving, but… best to stay alert."

"Of course," Noir said. "You said two active floors to get through?"

"Until Chemdah, yeah, but I'm not sure how far into Chemdah we need to get to a save point. Uh, safe zone." Futaba looked sideways at Wakaba. "Archive, if you need the chair at some point you have to say so."

"I won't," Wakaba said, then amended to, "If I need to," before Futaba could argue.

"Good," Futaba said.

"Let's go," Makoto said again, and they went.


	6. 3/21-3/30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, the Longest Prologue Ever is complete.
> 
> Fair warning: This story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, although not as much of one as it could have, and the next story isn't going to be posted immediately. If you want to avoid cliffhangers, don't read 3/30.
> 
> _Edit 2/7/2021: Made some minor changes for the retcondo_

_**2015.03.21** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Good job today everyone!

Fuguetive: Chemdah at last.

QueenOfExams: And with no track runs to get there!

Fuguetive: …

prometheus_unbound: probably best to avoid those if possible

prometheus_unbound: like haru said good job everyone

prometheus_unbound: mom is still pretty wiped even after dinner and a couple hours relaxing

prometheus_unbound: i dont think we should try to get the next set of doors tomorrow

CountessMonteCristo: I still want to get more vegetables anyway.

prometheus_unbound: inari, haru whats your take on how today went at the shack?

prometheus_unbound: when i messaged kana she said it went fine but im not sure shed complain regardless

CountessMonteCristo: She seemed to be in a good mood when we picked her up? She said Hitoshi-san was funny and nice and Kiyomi-san was a little abrupt but kind.

ArtFox: They liked her.

prometheus_unbound: so it should probably work for her to stay there even if shed be camped in the studio after madarames back

ArtFox: Yes

ArtFox: Now that she's not here they're trying to guess what exactly is wrong with her parents but I don't think that's a problem, at least not for us.

QueenOfExams: I have an unrelated question.

QueenOfExams: Why are the Shadows in Chemdah mostly the same as the Shadows in the museum Palace?

prometheus_unbound: uhhhhhhhhh

prometheus_unbound: hmmmm

prometheus_unbound: that is kinda weird

CountessMonteCristo: Qimranut and Aiyatsbus have a lot of overlap with the castle Palace, too…

Fuguetive: It's not a perfect lineup, though. Although I suppose I haven't been through the entire castle…

prometheus_unbound: there was a boastful coward in chemdah today and i havent seen any of those in the museum

prometheus_unbound: just in the temple

prometheus_unbound: in fact i dont think we saw any of those last timeline at all

prometheus_unbound: so mementos is different

CountessMonteCristo: It pretty much has to be because of us, doesn't it?

CountessMonteCristo: It… reflects what we've encountered in other Palaces somehow?

Fuguetive: That hasn't been my experience.

Fuguetive: Although I guess more people might make a difference?

prometheus_unbound: i think ultimately we dont have any idea what determines what shadows show up in what palaces

prometheus_unbound: hell we dont even know what determines how strong the shadows in a palace will be

prometheus_unbound: but it does seem like were having some sort of effect on it?

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: All things considered I'm not very happy about that

prometheus_unbound: yyyyyyyeah

CountessMonteCristo: I wish we could ask Mona-chan!

prometheus_unbound: so do i but i wouldnt bet on his knowing for sure

prometheus_unbound: changing the subject again

prometheus_unbound: hifumi, status?

prometheus_unbound: what exactly happened? did she want you to compete again?

ShogiNinja: Worse. She had a brochure for some sort of SINGING competition, and a recruitment flyer for MODELING.

Fuguetive: …Wow.

QueenOfExams: Do you sing?

ShogiNinja: No, not at all, which she knows perfectly well. It was just to try to make me choose the modeling. I refused to do either — not really as politely as I should have — and she got angry, and we had a fight, and I left.

ShogiNinja: She's calmed down but she's still angry. We've been freezing each other out all evening.

ShogiNinja: Except when my father was in the room because both of us are trying not to tell him about this.

ShogiNinja: It was awkward.

ShogiNinja: But manageable.

ShogiNinja: How's the atelier?

ShogiNinja: Besides Kana-san visiting, I mean.

ArtFox: It's… fine?

ArtFox: No signs of long-term damage in Sensei before he left, and Hitoshi-senpai is working on something with watercolors so it's definitely not what he was painting last time.

CountessMonteCristo: Kana-chan said something about your senpai being surprised you were out right when you needed to do a painting? What does that mean?

ArtFox: Oh, right.

ArtFox: Sensei has hinted he would like something salable from me before school starts.

CountessMonteCristo: Is this going to be a time problem? That's only a little over two weeks…

ShogiNinja: Oh, damn, it IS only a little over two weeks.

ArtFox: I'm just going to try to do a small abstract. I should be able to do a lot of it tomorrow.

prometheus_unbound: well let us know if its a problem

prometheus_unbound: actually everyone let us know if you have any looming personal issues

prometheus_unbound: since were grounded tomorrow anyway im going to come see kana

QueenOfExams: Hifumi, if you would prefer to be out of your house, you can come over to my apartment and I'll teach you how to make lockpicks.

ShogiNinja: !

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.22** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: How's everyone's day off going?

QueenOfExams: Hifumi and I are making good progress with lockpicks!

CountessMonteCristo: Great!

CountessMonteCristo: But I mostly meant Goro I forgot to ask if you were planning any extracurriculars for today.

QueenOfExams: Is that what we're calling it.

Fuguetive: Just normal information gathering. I won't go deeper than Qimranut. And no rage fugues today, promise.

CountessMonteCristo: All right then. But be careful.

Fuguetive: How's Kana-san?

CountessMonteCristo: All right.

CountessMonteCristo: I think Futaba is trying to ask her about her opinion on a change of heart without having to explain changes of heart.

Fuguetive: …

Fuguetive: Good luck with that.

* * *

prometheus_unbound: moms rested enough to try for kaitul tomorrow

prometheus_unbound: that work for everyone else?

ArtFox: Yes

ShogiNinja: As long as I can avoid any confrontations between now and then, anyway. Probably.

QueenOfExams: I'm ready!

CountessMonteCristo: …

prometheus_unbound: yeah yeah yeah im telling them

prometheus_unbound: also i explained to kana about stealing hearts

ArtFox: …

QueenOfExams: I suppose that was probably unavoidable.

ShogiNinja: How does she feel about it?

ArtFox: …

CountessMonteCristo: Generally positive, I think. We didn't bring up any of the negative side effects, though.

ArtFox: How do you change someone else's name in this

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.23** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Again, good job today everyone!

CountessMonteCristo: I know it turned into sort of a marathon. I think I have psychosomatic sore muscles!

CountessMonteCristo: And sorry again about getting Marin Karined. Embarrassing!

prometheus_unbound: you got out of it without attacking anyone so i think youre good

CountessMonteCristo: How's everyone holding up?

ShogiNinja: High school is approaching at terrifying speed.

ArtFox: It's not as bad as they try to tell you it will be.

QueenOfExams: It's really not!

prometheus_unbound: says the queen of exams?

CountessMonteCristo: You might have a somewhat biased perspective, Mako-chan.

Fuguetive: It varies a lot but dreading it is a waste of energy, and at least it gets you out of the house.

ShogiNinja: Thank you, I think.

ShogiNinja: Yusuke's still typing…

ArtFox: Also Kana-san asked Kiyomi-senpai and Hitoshi-senpai if they knew what we were doing, Hitoshi-senpai asked if it had to do with the magic alternate dimension thing, Kana-san agreed, so they all concluded everyone was in on the secret and didn't need to be lied to and they compared notes, and consequently they all now know more than they did before, and I would like to emphasize this development was NOT MY FAULT.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: I thought she'd been quiet this evening.

prometheus_unbound: i didnt tell kana about the time travel

ArtFox: No, but you told her we had a lot of experience carrying out changes of heart, and they are wondering when I had time to do that.

ArtFox: I have tried to imply all the experience has been these last few months, but that still doesn't explain all the things I knew back in November

ArtFox: Not that there's ever been a good explanation for that, but at least they weren't thinking about it.

ArtFox: I just have to hope they won't push now.

CountessMonteCristo: I don't think they're very likely to jump to time travel as an explanation? It's… out there, even taking the Metaverse as given.

prometheus_unbound: yeah im sorry if they got details you didnt want them to but i really dont think theyll guess

prometheus_unbound: what did they know that kana didnt?

prometheus_unbound: actually im going to call kana

ArtFox: I think the big thing was Personas and Palaces?

QueenOfExams: You tried to explain changes of heart without explaining Palaces and Personas?

CountessMonteCristo: I think Futaba is talking to Kana-chan.

CountessMonteCristo: And she did cover Shadows, I think.

CountessMonteCristo: We should probably expect Wakaba-san to need a day to recover again.

CountessMonteCristo: Then I think we should be okay to try for Akzeriyyuth?

CountessMonteCristo: Shadows are getting stronger as we go down but I think we still have it under control. Opinions?

Fuguetive: They're weaker than the space station Shadows, certainly.

ArtFox: Kaitul has Shadows that were in the bank, so Akzeriyyuth must go with the pyramid, and Futaba estimated the temple was roughly pyramid level.

ShogiNinja: And when we did the temple I was kind of weak for it but Hangaku and I have learned a lot since then, so we should be good!

QueenOfExams: If by good you mean "not in over our heads".

QueenOfExams: I don't think we should count on blasting on through the way we have been, either.

QueenOfExams: We've gotten overconfident before.

CountessMonteCristo: Sadly true.

ArtFox: I don't think we got overconfident. We got distracted by the weird Treasure and we weren't expecting a Palace ruler to ambush us.

ShogiNinja: I don't think she was talking about us.

CountessMonteCristo: Sadly also true.

CountessMonteCristo: A bigger group makes a huge difference, though!

QueenOfExams: If we're doing another day off, do you want to come over again Hifumi?

ShogiNinja: No, we need to have some familial logistics discussions before high school starts. It will be fine.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.24** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

Fuguetive: Mementos again today. Promise no rage fugues.

QueenOfExams: …Thanks?

* * *

prometheus_unbound: haru, are we expecting more vegetables soon?

CountessMonteCristo: Um, not until next week at the earliest.

CountessMonteCristo: I just harvested on Sunday — surely we didn't eat them all yesterday?!

prometheus_unbound: not all of them

prometheus_unbound: more than we shouldve maybe

prometheus_unbound: we should probably stock up on other restoratives/remedies before we try akzeriyyuth

prometheus_unbound: i wonder if moms curry would work for magic restoration? since akiras did

CountessMonteCristo: Hmm, that seems promising.

CountessMonteCristo: And I think Yusuke can go by the Takemi clinic? We did give you the money for that, right?

ArtFox: Yes, but I am trying to get some painting done today, too.

prometheus_unbound: be sure to get some relax gels plz

prometheus_unbound: i need to talk to mom about the curry

prometheus_unbound: what else

CountessMonteCristo: I was thinking of checking out the airsoft store. I'd like to upgrade.

prometheus_unbound: probably everyone could do with an upgrade

prometheus_unbound: check the selection of protective gear too

CountessMonteCristo: I'm not sure we can afford everyone getting an upgrade.

prometheus_unbound: okay fair lemme think

QueenOfExams: I still need to clean the questionable loot armor, some of that might be good.

QueenOfExams: While that's running I'm going to try to make another ammunition reserve!

ShogiNinja: Ooooohhh, can I come watch?

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: hifumi.

ShogiNinja: We can have the discussions in the evening when my father will be available.

ShogiNinja: Everything's fine.

prometheus_unbound: HIFUMI.

CountessMonteCristo: ???

ShogiNinja: All right, not everything is fine, but I would prefer not to discuss it at present.

ShogiNinja: Kana-san's situation is more urgent.

ShogiNinja: Did we ever find out who her guardian would be if her parents were arrested or incapacitated?

prometheus_unbound: arrrgggghhhh fine but we ARE talking about this later

prometheus_unbound: her paternal grandmother is dead, paternal grandfather alive in chiba but has advanced lung cancer and shes never met him, just gotten a card or two

prometheus_unbound: maternal grandparents estranged but alive and in tokyo, but kana said her mother "jokes" about the grandmother breaking plates on her head and the grandfather got fined once for critically injuring a neighbors dog so they may be estranged for good reason

QueenOfExams: Ugh, I don't want to feel sorry for them.

prometheus_unbound: then dont. i dont. WEIRD RUBBER HORSE COSTUME.

prometheus_unbound: anyway

prometheus_unbound: maternal aunt whose location has been unknown for the last ten years, i MIGHT have tracked her down in yokohama but it could be a lookalike

prometheus_unbound: paternal uncle works on a whaling ship and is rarely in touch

prometheus_unbound: paternal aunt out of work in kyoto, reportedly hates children

prometheus_unbound: sooooooooo yeah i think i need to try to get her to agree to talk to mom and sojiro and see if we can work out her staying with us somehow

prometheus_unbound: or else commit to faking her being harus half sister

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: I'm not going to say we can't do that if it's the best option but I wouldn't want to ask my father to lie about it and it would be fairly easily disproven on evidence, so.

prometheus_unbound: ill try to talk to her about it

CountessMonteCristo: Actually, maybe I should bring her along and you can meet us at the airsoft store? That way you two can talk and you can provide thoughts on who needs an upgrade.

prometheus_unbound: that shoooooooould work, just gotta ask about it

QueenOfExams: It sounds like just a straight rage fugue wouldn't be a good idea. Goro will be disappointed.

* * *

ArtFox: Besides the Recov-R, Nohar-M, and relax gels, there are also alert capsules and Revivadrin. Should I get any of those?

prometheus_unbound: YES YES YES GET REVIVADRIN

prometheus_unbound: ugh i cant believe i forgot about revivadrin

ArtFox: I didn't remember it until I saw it.

QueenOfExams: Revivadrin?

prometheus_unbound: like a synthetic revival bead basically

QueenOfExams: Oh. That IS useful.

* * *

Fuguetive: A straight rage fugue wouldn't be a good idea without CAREFUL GROUNDWORK, you mean.

Fuguetive: Anyway I picked up a couple of soul drops and some more materials

Fuguetive: Who got weapon upgrades?

CountessMonteCristo: New melee weapons for me and Hifumi, new ranged weapons for you and Mako-chan, new plate vest for Yusuke

CountessMonteCristo: And Mako-chan cleaned up a bunch of Mementos armor the rest of us can pick from tomorrow morning but of course it's all ridiculous.

Fuguetive: And how did the talk with Kana-san go?

CountessMonteCristo: It was a little fraught, but she agreed that staying with Wakaba-san and Sojiro-san for a while would be good, and they're all going to talk on Thursday.

CountessMonteCristo: …It was also a little louder than was ideal and Iwai-san may now want to kill the Magarios, but I don't think that's a major problem.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.25** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: i told mom it is her fault the demonic warlords can poison us now when they couldnt last timeline

prometheus_unbound: but this led to the question of why hangaku has poison resistance when she was awakened in the museum and its not like there are any poison shadows there

prometheus_unbound: conclusion: the metaverse makes no goddamn sense

prometheus_unbound: also sojiro wants to know where all the shadow names come from

prometheus_unbound: i told him they have different names if they turn into personas but he didnt seem to think that helped any

CountessMonteCristo: I don't think it's a good idea to spend too much time trying to make sense of Shadows.

CountessMonteCristo: That way lies madness.

prometheus_unbound: no, we gotta, were doing Science

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: All right?

CountessMonteCristo: Anyway, did everyone else make it home safely?

QueenOfExams: Yes!

Fuguetive: Yes

ArtFox: Yes. Which you already know, since you came to get Kana-san.

ShogiNinja: Yes

CountessMonteCristo: Just making sure! And no other worrying developments?

QueenOfExams: Well, Sis tried to make dinner, got distracted, and almost set the kitchen on fire, if that's what you mean?

CountessMonteCristo: …Well, it wasn't, but that IS somewhat worrying.

QueenOfExams: She knows better than to use the stove if she's THAT preoccupied, honestly.

prometheus_unbound: i think the silence means 'no one is willing to talk about it', so, next subject

prometheus_unbound: plan is ill come over there before lunch, me and kana will videocall mom and sojiro and well talk

CountessMonteCristo: And hopefully decide what to do?

prometheus_unbound: yeah

prometheus_unbound: hopefully

CountessMonteCristo: Everyone else maybe try to rest and relax? As much as possible? Today was exhausting.

QueenOfExams: I had better try to relax now, the ahead-of-year student council meeting is MONDAY.

ShogiNinja: I'll try.

ShogiNinja: …Makoto, can I come over again?

QueenOfExams: Of course!

ArtFox: I have a painting to work on.

Fuguetive: I'll think about relaxing.

CountessMonteCristo: …

Fuguetive: I promise not to go back to Akzeriyyuth to interrogate the Magarios' Shadows, how's that?

CountessMonteCristo: …

prometheus_unbound: damn, i shouldve thought of that

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.26** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Well, they're talking.

Fuguetive: Are you part of the conversation or not? That wasn't clear to me.

CountessMonteCristo: I'm making sure they won't be interrupted.

QueenOfExams: And listening?

CountessMonteCristo: Well, I'm right outside the door.

Fuguetive: …

CountessMonteCristo: I'm not NOT listening.

CountessMonteCristo: Futaba said she'd contact everyone via the chat if they needed everyone's opinion on anything, but.

ShogiNinja: She should know she's going to get everyone's opinion whether or not they need it.

ShogiNinja: Except for Yusuke's, I guess. Since he's busy.

ShogiNinja: …

ShogiNinja: That situation really is not okay. Madarame's Shadow was…

ShogiNinja: Is it on the to-do list?

CountessMonteCristo: Well, we haven't really talked about plans after Kana-chan's situation is dealt with, apart from resuming investigating Shido…

CountessMonteCristo: I think the thing about Madarame is that his pattern of behavior is well-established, and Yusuke has lived with it for years and did live with it for longer, so as long as the senpai are in good mental health, it's… stable.

CountessMonteCristo: They shouldn't have to placate him! But since they know how to placate him, it's not a crisis.

ShogiNinja: I GUESS.

Fuguetive: Unlike, say, a situation where a Shadow jumped from Mementos to a Palace accompanied by escalating real-world tension.

Fuguetive: Just as a hypothetical.

CountessMonteCristo: …

Fuguetive: If we're supposed to be pretending not to have realized someone should have told me that, because it takes less than a minute to check the app.

CountessMonteCristo: That's fair

ShogiNinja: I don't know whether to feel guilty because it has to be my fault she has a Palace this time if she didn't in the old timeline, or angry that she got a PALACE over my

ShogiNinja: I don't know, what AM I doing that set her off?

ShogiNinja: Is there any way to tell exactly when the Palace appeared?

Fuguetive: Not that I'm aware of. Unless Hypatia can scan for that.

QueenOfExams: Why?

ShogiNinja: I want to know if it was before or after the argument Saturday.

ShogiNinja: When she brought up modeling and I refused to negotiate.

ShogiNinja: That seems like the kind of thing that might have shifted things, but on the other hand if she wasn't

ShogiNinja: She can't have thought I'd actually want that

CountessMonteCristo: Hmmm, I see both of your points.

CountessMonteCristo: I don't think it makes a lot of difference, though?

ShogiNinja: No

ShogiNinja: I'm changing the subject. How are negotiations going?

CountessMonteCristo: Still talking.

CountessMonteCristo: I think it's going well? Kana-chan is actually talking some, now.

QueenOfExams: What exactly are we hoping gets agreed on, anyway?

CountessMonteCristo: I think mainly whether Kana-chan is willing to talk to Wakaba-san and Sojiro-san and possibly stay with them

CountessMonteCristo: But I think Futaba is trying to angle towards everyone agreeing a change of heart is the way to make sure the Magarios cooperate with this?

CountessMonteCristo: Sojiro-san said they could make sure Kana-chan was taken seriously by the authorities, but she doesn't want her parents arrested.

CountessMonteCristo: Just getting them to back off and voluntarily relinquish custody sounds like a job for a change of heart to me.

Fuguetive: Ugh I GUESS

Fuguetive: They deserve rage fugues, though.

QueenOfExams: But will Wakaba-san agree to it?

QueenOfExams: A change of heart, I mean, not a rage breakdown.

CountessMonteCristo: Well… strictly speaking Wakaba-san doesn't have to agree to it.

CountessMonteCristo: Which she realizes, I think.

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: It would be really rude to use her Persona to get to Akzeriyyuth and then do something she thinks is unethical.

CountessMonteCristo: It would.

CountessMonteCristo: But Futaba feels the most strongly about both helping Kana-chan and getting along with Wakaba-san, so if it comes down to backing down or standing up, I think we can leave the decision to her. All right?

Fuguetive: …

Fuguetive: I see your logic, anyway.

QueenOfExams: That wasn't a yes.

Fuguetive: That's an I'm not making any promises about what I'll do if the situation deteriorates.

CountessMonteCristo: I don't think it will come to that. I think Wakaba-san will step back.

CountessMonteCristo: She may not be enthusiastic about it, but she won't try to stop us.

QueenOfExams: I hope you're right.

QueenOfExams: I like Wakaba-san, I don't want things to be too awkward.

CountessMonteCristo: Oh, now they're talking about what needs to be done for Kana-chan to stay with them long-term.

CountessMonteCristo: It sounds like a lot of paperwork it would take a while to get through?

CountessMonteCristo: I think Futaba's getting out her phone?

prometheus_unbound: wtf are you guys chatting about my phone has been buzzing nonstop

prometheus_unbound: nevermind

prometheus_unbound: if we do a change of heart now, will that make them both agree kana can stay with us and send her stuff

prometheus_unbound: AND sign paperwork voluntarily permanently giving up their parental rights whenever that happens, which depends on… something?

Fuguetive: "voluntarily"

prometheus_unbound: shut up, you know what i mean

CountessMonteCristo: I think so?

CountessMonteCristo: I know the heart-changed Shadows we encountered in Mementos were… still changed, months later.

prometheus_unbound: thats certainly one way of putting it

ShogiNinja: If you need a Mementos follow-up to compare, see what your uncle is doing?

prometheus_unbound: im trying to avoid telling mom about that whole mess

QueenOfExams: …

QueenOfExams: Are you sure she hasn't guessed?

prometheus_unbound: no but i still dont want to talk about it with her

prometheus_unbound: well go with probably thatll work

CountessMonteCristo: I think the current idea, or at least Futaba's current idea, is that we change their hearts, then the next day Wakaba-san or Sojiro-san calls them up and says they want Kana-chan to come stay with them for her welfare, and since they'll have had a change of heart they should agree?

CountessMonteCristo: And talk to a lawyer and figure out about the future later. Just so Kana-chan is out of there and also not on the run.

CountessMonteCristo: Impressions?

QueenOfExams: That… sounds like it should work? I think?

Fuguetive: Don't ask me, not my thing.

Fuguetive: You and Oracle are the change of heart experts.

CountessMonteCristo: I think it should work.

CountessMonteCristo: It would probably have worked on my father.

CountessMonteCristo: No one mention that to Wakaba-san please.

ShogiNinja: Is everyone else agreeing with this??? Wakaba-san and Sojiro-san, I mean?

CountessMonteCristo: Not enthusiastically, but no one is trying to veto.

Fuguetive: Could I suggest Kana-san stay where she is until we're sure her parents are going along with the script?

CountessMonteCristo: That sounds like a sensible precaution. I certainly don't have a problem with it.

QueenOfExams: What do we need to do to prep for that?

QueenOfExams: Some sort of calling card, obviously…

CountessMonteCristo: The Mementos requirements for that are a lot looser. Although I suppose without the Phan-site operating we'll have to do something…

Fuguetive: The what site.

ShogiNinja: We just sent Futaba's uncle a text, it seemed to work fine.

ShogiNinja: Well, Futaba sent it, with the number blocked, I'm not sure how.

CountessMonteCristo: Oh, that makes things easier! Good to know. I'm sure she can just do something like that again.

CountessMonteCristo: I think they just agreed to Futaba's plan? More on prep—

CountessMonteCristo: We are not getting new vegetables for AT LEAST another week, but hopefully Wakaba-san can make more curry.

QueenOfExams: Somehow eating curry for magic recovery is even stranger than eating vegetables or drinking weird drinks.

CountessMonteCristo: Not as weird as "Mystery Stew". It restored magic but made you worse at everything. It had the most shady-looking packaging, too — I don't know WHERE Akira picked it up. Or why. Curry is much better.

QueenOfExams: We should also send Yusuke for more recovery items from the clinic. Especially relax gel and alert capsules — we went through more of those than I was expecting in Akzeriyyuth.

ShogiNinja: Doctor Takemi must think Madarame is absurdly abusive by now…

Fuguetive: Would it be a problem if I tried to establish myself as a patient of the clinic, too?

CountessMonteCristo: I think that should be fine, but we should ask Futaba and Yusuke to be on the safe side.

CountessMonteCristo: They just ended the call, Futaba should be online any minute.

Fuguetive: Well, it's not my preferred plan, but at least it's A plan that will probably work and has more potential than Kana-san just hiding at Haru's indefinitely.

QueenOfExams: So we can get back to all the OTHER things we have to worry about…

ShogiNinja: I get what you were saying about stable situations but I still think Madarame should be on the to-do list ahead of my mother.

prometheus_unbound: other complication with madarame is inari is probably going to want to consult his senpai and i honestly have no idea what their opinions will be

prometheus_unbound: it looks like haru told you all the plan after listening at the door

CountessMonteCristo: You didn't say not to

prometheus_unbound: it sounds good? or good enough? kana still doesnt WANT them arrested so were not pursuing that for now

Fuguetive: Good enough, yes

prometheus_unbound: great. still have to ask inari but i dont think hed have any reason to disagree

QueenOfExams: What sort of timing are we thinking of? The student council pre-year meeting is on Monday…

CountessMonteCristo: Take tomorrow for prep — more supplies, the calling card equivalent, Wakaba-san and Sojiro-san figuring out exactly how they'll proceed — then move in and change their hearts on Saturday, and Wakaba-san and Sojiro-san contact them on Sunday?

CountessMonteCristo: I'm not sure we really need ALL of tomorrow for prep, just — thorough is good.

prometheus_unbound: yeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhh

prometheus_unbound: moms going to come with us to mementos, to minimize the risks were dealing with and the possible delays

Fuguetive: I'd like to object to that but considering Hypatia I can't.

CountessMonteCristo: We should update Yusuke on this. Do you think he'd pick up if we called, or will it have to wait until he finishes his project and checks in?

prometheus_unknown: who knows

prometheus_unbound: crow, do you think you could get over here tomorrow to talk to kana again?

prometheus_unbound: especially if you can share any stories about kids who got taken away from their families but are doing just fine

prometheus_unbound: shes agreed this is the best option but shes still pretty nervous

Fuguetive: …

Fuguetive: I'm guessing stories about kids who DIDN'T get taken away from their families and came to ugly ends wouldn't substitute?

prometheus_unbound: no

prometheus_unbound: at least not right now

Fuguetive: I'll see what I can come up with.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.27** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

prometheus_unbound: will not be over today, i am apparently on curry duty

CountessMonteCristo: I didn't know you cooked?

prometheus_unbound: not if i can avoid it

prometheus_unbound: "making magic restoratives would be an invaluable skill for you futaba"

prometheus_unbound: let me know if any emergencies come up requiring my attention

prometheus_unbound: PLEASE

CountessMonteCristo: We'll need you for the calling card eventually.

CountessMonteCristo: Calling text?

CountessMonteCristo: And we'll need to decide what it says…

prometheus_unbound: good point

prometheus_unbound: maybe i can get away after a couple hours

prometheus_unbound: did crow show up?

CountessMonteCristo: Yes

CountessMonteCristo: He's telling stories about the stupidest things he's seen in foster/group homes. I can't imagine it's reassuring but she's laughing at least?

prometheus_unbound: …

* * *

ShogiNinja: Question from Makoto — what do we need more, Goho-Ms or lockpicks?

prometheus_unbound: tomorrow wed better not need either of them

prometheus_unbound: lockpicks i guess?

prometheus_unbound: i really want to make a durable one but the aluminum keeps getting diverted for ammunition

Fuguetive: We need ammo reserves more than we need a reusable lockpick

Fuguetive: But right now we're lower on lockpicks so yeah, make those

prometheus_unbound: so did your mom okay you leaving or did you have to sneak out?

ShogiNinja: I left very early. I left a note. She hasn't called.

Fuguetive: …

Fuguetive: Hopefully we can finish dealing with the Magarios before THIS blows up in our faces.

* * *

ArtFox: Dr. Takemi finally asked about all the Nohar-M.

ArtFox: I told her the atelier has a scorpion problem.

QueenOfExams: Um.

ArtFox: I have no recollection of deciding to tell her this.

ArtFox: No response required.

ArtFox: I just wanted to share my pain.

* * *

prometheus_unbound: I AM FREE and coming over to your place haru

QueenOfExams: How did the curry end up?

prometheus_unbound: fine because i was mostly handing my mom things and watching

prometheus_unbound: you guys still making lockpicks?

QueenOfExams: We used up the materials we had, so we're trying to see if some of the Mementos bits of copper and some twine we found in the closet will substitute. I'm not expecting it to but it's worth a shot, right?

Fuguetive: I made four with dental floss once — half of them worked, half of them broke when I tried to use them. Don't know about the copper.

QueenOfExams: Hmmm.

ShogiNinja: Are you going to Haru's to compose the calling message thing, Futaba? What are you going to say?

prometheus_unbound: not sure yet

prometheus_unbound: probably nothing fancy

ShogiNinja: Speaking of nothing fancy I think we need a better name for our secret headquarters than just 'Haru's place'

CountessMonteCristo: I'll leave that up to you!

ShogiNinja: Really?! I'll get right to it!

CountessMonteCristo: …

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: We are thinking 'you exploitative creeps will see the error of your ways'.

CountessMonteCristo: Unless someone thinks of a better word than 'creeps'.

prometheus_unbound: well i DID but haru says we cant say fuckers

ShogiNinja: Villains?

QueenOfExams: So-called parents?

Fuguetive: No, they're definitely parents. Parasites?

prometheus_unbound: LEECHES! can we say leeches?

CountessMonteCristo: Yes, that works. Will everyone be ready tomorrow? Should Futaba send it?

Fuguetive: Yes

QueenOfExams: Yes

ArtFox: Agreed, and it should work for Kana-san to stay at the atelier while we're in the Metaverse.

ShogiNinja: And yes!

ShogiNinja: And our secret headquarters is now the Celestial Castle of Arcane Mysteries!

CountessMonteCristo: …

QueenOfExams: I talked her DOWN to that.

prometheus_unbound: okay message sent

prometheus_unbound: see everyone tomorrow

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.28** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Everyone get home safely?

CountessMonteCristo: YES Yusuke I already know you got home safely.

Fuguetive: Yes

QueenOfExams: Yes.

ShogiNinja: Makoto's apartment safely, technically

prometheus_unbound: yup

prometheus_unbound: for the record i didnt remember about their leech spells when i said we could call them leeches but they DID have them last timeline so we did NOT ask for that

prometheus_unbound: also for the record i feel like i really SHOULD have remembered this fight before i said no one uses sleep so sorry about that

prometheus_unbound: in my defense there was a LOT going on the month we fought them

prometheus_unbound: and no one else remembered either

prometheus_unbound: unless inari remembered and that was why he bought all those alert capsules but if so it was really rude not to tell us

ArtFox: I wasn't remembering this fight, I was remembering the Asherah fight.

Fuguetive: I just appreciate you figured out we shouldn't actually set the Mrs. Magario Shadow on fire before we tried to. As disappointing as that was.

ShogiNinja: The whole fight was harder than I expected, for Mementos.

QueenOfExams: Same.

Fuguetive: It surprised me too and it shouldn't have. We KNEW the Shadows are higher-level down there. I've been in plenty of Palaces where they're worse, sometimes a lot worse.

CountessMonteCristo: We went three paths down in under a week. It's not surprising we're still used to Easy Mementos.

CountessMonteCristo: Has whoever is going to call the Magarios called them yet?

prometheus_unbound: mom and sojiro are going to go over in person actually but moms resting a bit first

prometheus_unbound: if the magarios arent home for that then theyll call

ShogiNinja: It's Saturday, where else would they be?

Fuguetive: Pachinko parlor, possibly.

prometheus_unbound: who knows

prometheus_unbound: hows kana?

CountessMonteCristo: Anxious, I think? We all want to get this settled.

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: Wakaba-san just called to talk to Kana-chan. It sounds like good news?

prometheus_unbound: yeah

prometheus_unbound: sojiro says they agreed to everything

prometheus_unbound: in between blubbering and trying to throw things at each other

prometheus_unbound: seems like theyre really mad at each other

QueenOfExams: Side effect of their being mad at themselves, do you think?

prometheus_unbound: no idea

prometheus_unbound: but oh yeah this is great

prometheus_unbound: they DID contact the police a week ago but the police didnt seem to think a runaway was their problem

QueenOfExams: I would have thought middle school would be a little young for that attitude.

Fuguetive: I wouldn't, but I WOULD have thought Kana-san's behavioral record was a little clean for that attitude.

Fuguetive: Maybe they judged off the parents' perceived trashiness?

QueenOfExams: That's probably it.

prometheus_unbound: so they got a whole bunch of kanas stuff and a letter from her parents authorizing them to stand in so thats great

prometheus_unbound: but we dont have a place set up for her to sleep

prometheus_unbound: theres a study type room thats full of boxes of books that havent gotten unpacked

prometheus_unbound: or she could share my room

ArtFox: Which is half full of boxes you haven't unpacked and half full of computers, leaving no room for another bed

prometheus_unbound: …

prometheus_unbound: yeah basically

CountessMonteCristo: Well, it's not a problem for her to stay at the Celestial Castle of Arcane Mystery a few more days!

Fuguetive: …

CountessMonteCristo: I did say she could name it.

ShogiNinja: Thank you!

ShogiNinja: You solved the 'assumed half-sibling' problem?

CountessMonteCristo: No, but a few more days won't make it any worse.

CountessMonteCristo: …

CountessMonteCristo: Listening in, I think Kana-chan is disappointed her parents didn't ask to speak to her?

Fuguetive: I can see why she would be but I'm just relieved.

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: We should probably try to rest tomorrow, and then Monday Mako-chan has that meeting. And then a week from Monday school starts, but we still need to decide what we're doing next.

prometheus_unbound: for the next day or two ill be busy rearranging things to make space for kana but hopefully it wont take too long

Fuguetive: I'm going to try to compile a list of potentially informative people whose Shadows we now have access to.

QueenOfExams: No solo interview expeditions below Aiyatsbus.

Fuguetive: Chemdah.

QueenOfExams: Deal.

ShogiNinja: Yusuke, do you think Kiyomi-san would be willing to pretend she's been giving me Kosei-related mentoring? Potentially briefly speaking to my parents about it?

ArtFox: I'd have to ask her. She could probably be convinced. You think that would help?

ShogiNinja: Sort of? I don't think it would make my mother give up on… all of it, but it would give a reasonable, responsible explanation for where I've been disappearing to lately.

ShogiNinja: Give me back the moral high ground.

ShogiNinja: Fraudulently, but that's not important right now.

ShogiNinja: I could also say Makoto has been tutoring me, which is even partly true, but that doesn't have the school connection so it's not as obvious why.

ShogiNinja: Are you done with your painting thing?

ArtFox: Yes, and Sensei approved it, but if we're not busy I may try to finish another before school starts.

QueenOfExams: I feel like we have enough in front of us that we should be busy.

QueenOfExams: Hifumi have you identified your mother's distortion? It's not a shogi parlor, a stage, or a tournament…

ShogiNinja: No, but I have some ideas I haven't checked.

CountessMonteCristo: I understand you would prefer not to immediately pursue this in the Metaverse, but it would be best to know now, in case we need to…?

ShogiNinja: …I'm pretty sure it will have something to do with television.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.29** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

Fuguetive: I have a Chemdah interview list.

Fuguetive: Two judges, Makoto's sister, two other prosecutors, a guy who I think might be one of Shido's underworld go-betweens, a politician — a new one, not Ooe — and the head of a "consulting company" Ito sends payments to, type of consulting unclear

Fuguetive: The technology company president you mentioned isn't there — maybe Shido ate him already — but his vice president is, if we're interested.

ShogiNinja: …

Fuguetive: Oh, and like six cops. So far.

ShogiNinja: …

Fuguetive: What?

ShogiNinja: "ate him"

Fuguetive: Close enough.

CountessMonteCristo: Oooohhhhh, that's a good list to start with. Is it okay with you if we all go talk to your sister's Shadow tomorrow, Mako-chan?

QueenOfExams: I think so?

CountessMonteCristo: I think our other priorities should maybe be the "consultant" and the computer person?

prometheus_unbound: definitely high priority no fake medjeds will be tolerated

prometheus_unbound: but im not sure ill have time tomorrow and i should be there for that so wait on that one?

prometheus_unbound: there are more boxes here than i thought

prometheus_unbound: i dont mind if you guys go scouting in chemdah though

prometheus_unbound: ill come next time! moms okay with mementos info-gathering now

QueenOfExams: Oh, good!

prometheus_unbound: no kidding

prometheus_unbound: kana can come hang out here though! we still dont have a bed or anything but she doesn't have to go breathe paint fumes

ArtFox: There aren't that many paint fumes. There's an exhaust fan.

CountessMonteCristo: Very good, I can take Kana-chan to Yongen-Jaya before I go to Shibuya.

CountessMonteCristo: Back to business — the consultant, Sae-san, and… what does everyone think, one of the judges?

ArtFox: I vote for the possible underworld go-between.

QueenOfExams: That makes sense.

Fuguetive: I agree.

ShogiNinja: No objections, but what time?

QueenOfExams: We aren't going to be starting early — I have that student council meeting ten to two, and I don't want to get tired and/or be late for that, so we're not even starting until three.

Fuguetive: Though I'm going early to gather materials in Qimranut and Aiyatsbus.

ShogiNinja: I don't think I can make it, then. My father offered to take me school shopping in the afternoon, and I don't want to miss that.

ArtFox: Did Kiyomi-senpai text you?

ShogiNinja: Yes. She may be able to help.

ShogiNinja: …Have you ever looked up HER relatives on the MetaNav?

ArtFox: I'm not sure the Metaverse reaches to Iwate, and also I don't know their names.

prometheus_unbound: and they are a very low priority anyway

prometheus_unbound: i say to you two specifically because youre the ones who keep trying to push your own items off the agenda

CountessMonteCristo: Yes, that's… a situation we'll have to monitor. Two situations.

Fuguetive: In between everything else.

* * *

* * *

_**2015.03.30** _

_**medjed: can hack ur brain** _

CountessMonteCristo: Mako-chan did you decide to wait somewhere else in the station?

CountessMonteCristo: Mako-chan?

CountessMonteCristo: Mako-chan did student council run late?

CountessMonteCristo: @QueenOfExams ?

CountessMonteCristo: Yusuke, can you wait for Mako-chan? I'm afraid her phone may not be working, and I want to check in with Goro before we leave him waiting down there too long.

ArtFox: Of course.

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: Still no Mako-chan?

ArtFox: No.

CountessMonteCristo: I'll try calling her again…

CountessMonteCristo: I got voicemail again.

CountessMonteCristo: Are you still in the cafe?

CountessMonteCristo: Let's meet up.

* * *

ArtFox: Oracle

ArtFox: "pinging" Oracle?

ArtFox: At Oracle?

ArtFox: At Futaba

Fuguetive: @prometheus_unbound

Fuguetive: Sorry I just realized what he was trying.

Fuguetive: @ShogiNinja while we're at it

prometheus_unbound: ???

Fuguetive: Great.

Fuguetive: Makoto didn't show up in Shibuya and she isn't answering her phone.

prometheus_unbound: not answering or straight to voicemail?

Fuguetive: Not answering. Yusuke thought you might have it bugged.

prometheus_unbound: …sadly no.

Fuguetive: Damn

prometheus_unbound: but, uh

prometheus_unbound: theres something i can try, hang on

ShogiNinja: Makoto's missing?

ArtFox: That may be premature. But we don't know where she is and haven't been able to reach her. Possibly her phone is on silent and she hasn't realized?

Fuguetive: Haru is trying to call other student council members to see if the meeting is running longer than planned, don't know what she's found.

prometheus_unbound: that might be it, her phones in shuujin

Fuguetive: …

prometheus_unbound: her device finding login is the same as it was in the future

ArtFox: ???

ShogiNinja: Should I ask why you had that or do I not want to know?

Fuguetive: I'll tell Haru.

CountessMonteCristo: Thank you Futaba, good thinking, when you get a chance could you help me deactivate that function on my phone.

prometheus_unbound: sure but just so you know you did have to use it at least once that i know of to find your phone

CountessMonteCristo: I'm going to Shuujin. I've asked Goro and Yusuke to take one more look in Mementos with Defarge in case she went in ahead for some reason.

prometheus_unbound: im not sure going alone is a good idea

CountessMonteCristo: Yusuke doesn't have an excuse to be there and Goro doesn't need the exposure — I'm going home and getting my driver, and I'll have him walk me in.

prometheus_unbound: good thinking

prometheus_unbound: im going to mention this to mom and sojiro? they already noticed im distracted and kana keeps asking whats wrong

CountessMonteCristo: I still hope this is just the meeting running over but yes, go ahead.

* * *

Fuguetive: Not in Mementos — we scanned from every safe area we have access to.

ShogiNinja: That was a long shot anyway, wasn't it?

Fuguetive: Yes, solo Mementos expeditions aren't really her thing.

Fuguetive: …

Fuguetive: Hopefully it's the student council meeting.

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: Mako-chan isn't here but I found her phone and her bag. The meeting ended on time.

prometheus_unbound: shiiiiiiiit

ArtFox: Goro is smiling and it's very concerning.

prometheus_unbound: ill tell mom and sojiro

CountessMonteCristo: We'll reconvene at the Celestial Castle.

CountessMonteCristo: I'm calling Sae-san.

* * *

CountessMonteCristo: Good news! Sort of.

prometheus_unbound: WHAT NEWS?

CountessMonteCristo: She's in the hospital.

ShogiNinja: It says something about all this that that IS good news…

prometheus_unbound: oh good

prometheus_unbound: mom was starting to look Very Serious

CountessMonteCristo: Sae-san said she'll be fine and asked me to bring her bag and phone in tomorrow, so hopefully I can talk to her then.

prometheus_unbound: meet up at arcane mystery house first thing tomorrow?

prometheus_unbound: i dont think they let us all in but we can talk things over when haru gets back

ArtFox: Yes, please.

ShogiNinja: I'll be there.

Fuguetive: Yes. Did Niijima-san tell you what happened?

CountessMonteCristo: No.

CountessMonteCristo: But the way she sounded…

CountessMonteCristo: I don't think we were overreacting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming at some point: Collateral, in which some things are explained, others aren't, and Makoto is obliged to skip school.
> 
> (Edit 8/17: At the end of Valor and Discretion, Team Medjed was surprised to hear that Kobayakawa's sins involved the Metaverse in any way. Make of this what you will.
> 
> Also, please do not worry about Makoto being hurt by Kamoshida; if that had happened he wouldn't have been holding volleyball tryouts the next week due to -- _at best_ \-- a public rage fugue, possibly during rush hour.)

**Author's Note:**

> Come ask questions or otherwise talk at me at [my tumblr](https://ceescedasticity.tumblr.com/)! (I also have a [dreamwidth](https://scedasticity.dreamwidth.org), which is considerably less active but I do get alerts so if you want to avoid tumblr there's that.)


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